MITRP graduate students Eric Weber and Ted Nowak have led a newly published review article titled “Electron magnetic resonance imaging: A technical perspective” in the Journal of Magnetic Resonance. The review was co-authored with their advisors, Dr. Nader Behdad from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and MITRP Principal Investigator Dr. Alan B. McMillan. This collaborative work aligns with MITRP’s ongoing focus on advancing imaging technologies to extract new functional and structural information for the assessment of human disease.

The publication provides a comprehensive evaluation of electron magnetic resonance imaging (eMRI), a modality that detects resonant free radicals rather than the hydrogen nuclei targeted by conventional MRI. Because an electron possesses a gyromagnetic ratio approximately 658 times larger than that of a proton, eMRI systems can operate at higher frequencies with significantly relaxed main magnetic field requirements. This allows for the development of high-sensitivity systems that do not require massive superconducting magnets. In the review, Weber and Nowak detail the hardware and signal acquisition principles behind continuous-wave and pulsed eMRI architectures. Furthermore, they evaluate advanced acquisition strategies, including single point imaging, spectral-spatial imaging, and Rapid-Scan eMRI. Rapid-Scan is highlighted as a highly efficient hybrid approach that leverages direct signal detection to significantly improve signal-to-noise ratios over traditional continuous-wave methods.

A major focus of the review is the translational and clinical application of eMRI, specifically regarding tissue oximetry. By utilizing exogenous spin probes that interact with oxygen in the body, eMRI can generate quantitative maps of tissue oxygenation. This functional capability is highly relevant in oncology, as hypoxic tumor tissue is notably more resistant to radiation therapy than well-oxygenated tissue. Accurate mapping of these hypoxic microenvironments could allow clinicians to modulate radiation doses to specific spatial locations within a tumor, overcoming treatment resistance. Because eMRI lacks high-resolution anatomical content, the authors conclude by detailing how co-registering eMRI functional data with structural imaging modalities, such as MRI, PET, or ultrasound, is a necessary step for successfully deploying this technology in clinical settings.

You can find the full paper here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmr.2026.108060