The fusion of optical and magnetic resonance spectroscopy technologies to deliver novel multimodal methods to investigate brain injury in adults and neonates. (360G-Wellcome-088429_Z_09_Z)

The aim of this fellowship is to combine two techniques currently being used to monitor brain injury in adults and neonates; near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). I will start by developing a novel magnet compatible hybrid optical topography spectrometer (HOTS) that is a combination of broadband and frequency domain spectrometers. HOTS will give regional measurements (2-Dimensional images) of brain tissue total haemoglobin, haemoglobin oxygen saturation, re dox state of cytochrome-c- oxidase, water content, temperature and scattering properties. I will then fuse the HOTS with MRS at an instrumentation level (combining the fibre optics head holder with the MR head coil) and on a software level (image co- registration). MRS scanning provides anatomical information with high spatial resolution measurements of lactate, creatine, phosphocreatine and tissue temperature. The merging of HOTS and MRS can therefore provide complementary physiological informati on. I will test the combined technologies using tissue mimicking phantoms, before a range of in-vivo studies are carried out in adult and neonatal humans and piglets (neonatal animal model). I will then fuse the multimodality data from these studies using systems biology approach utilising a computational model of brain tissue physiology, allowing the translation of the signals from physiological data to clinical information.