Quantitative PET Methodology

Quantitative PET Methodology

For nearly two decades, my research focused on the quantitative methodology of positron emission tomography (PET). The overarching goal was to improve the accuracy and reliability of PET measurements by evaluating methods for image reconstruction, attenuation correction, phantom design and quantitative image analysis. This work combined expertise in medical physics, image processing and scanner technology and laid the methodological foundation for many subsequent neuroimaging studies.

A particular focus was the development and validation of methods for hybrid PET/MRI systems. Compared with PET/CT, simultaneous PET/MRI offers unique opportunities to combine functional and molecular information from PET with the rich anatomical and physiological information provided by MRI. Achieving quantitative PET imaging in this setting requires accurate correction for photon attenuation and careful integration of information from both imaging modalities. My work contributed to the development and evaluation of attenuation correction strategies and reconstruction methods for clinical PET/MRI, including studies performed on the hybrid PET/MRI scanner operated in cooperation with the German Aerospace Center (DLR) at the :envihab research facility.

A second line of research addressed the development of multimodal imaging phantoms for PET/MRI. Using additive manufacturing techniques, we investigated tissue-equivalent materials and 3D printing approaches for constructing phantoms suitable for simultaneous PET and MRI measurements. Such phantoms could provide essential reference standards for evaluating image quality, reconstruction algorithms and quantitative imaging methods.

Although my research interests have shifted towards the glymphatic system and the regulation of Aquaporin-4, quantitative PET methodology remains an important part of my scientific work. I continue to support preclinical and clinical PET studies through expertise in quantitative analysis, image correction and quality assurance. More recently, I have become interested in extending pharmacokinetic modelling approaches to investigate glymphatic transport using PET tracers in awake animal models, combining methodological developments in PET with my current research on brain clearance mechanisms.