New professor aims to bring advanced MRI into clinical practice
Jan Ardenkjær-Larsen is a new professor of hyperpolarised MRI at the Department of Clinical Medicine. This specialised scanning method can reveal changes in the body’s metabolism and provide new insights into disease and treatment.
Hyperpolarised MRI can visualise specific changes in the body’s metabolism. Combined with conventional anatomical MRI images, the method can show where in the body these changes are taking place and whether a treatment is having an effect.
“The aim of my research is to develop an imaging modality that can help clinicians gain a better understanding of disease processes. When we understand disease processes, we are much better able to help patients and provide better treatment,” says Jan Ardenkjær-Larsen, who is a new professor at the Department of Clinical Medicine.
Jan Ardenkjær-Larsen is a graduate engineer with 20 years of experience in industry. He has also established a centre for basic research at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), where he previously held a professorship.
Today, he is involved in a number of international research collaborations and works on several EU-funded projects as well as an ERC Synergy Grant, including research into quantum sensing using diamonds – a field that can be used to make highly precise measurements of biological processes.
There are around 40,000 MRI scanners worldwide, and Jan Ardenkjær-Larsen hopes that, in time, hyperpolarised MRI can be used on a large proportion of them. His professorship at the Department of Clinical Medicine also brings his research closer to clinical practice and provides better opportunities to test new solutions in clinical studies together with clinicians.
Contact
Professor Jan Ardenkjær-Larsen
Aarhus University, Department of Clinical Medicine – MR Research Centre
Phone: +45 40 27 27 75
Email: jhar@clin.au.dk