Christian Langkammer from the Department of Neurology at the Medical University of Graz has been awarded an ERC Consolidator Grant – one of Europe’s most prestigious research funding programs, granted solely on the basis of scientific excellence. The €2 million funding will enable him to further expand his research group in the coming years. With this grant, he will realise the project “WhatsMRI – Elemental and Structural Composition underlying Brain MRI,” which explores fundamental biophysical mechanisms underlying magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Christian Langkammer is an Associate Professor at the Medical University of Graz. His academic career includes a PhD from Graz University of Technology and an Erwin Schrödinger Fellowship at the Martinos Center of Harvard Medical School in Boston. His research focuses on quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), particularly brain iron mapping and the development of methods for quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM), as well as focusing on the myelin sheath—a protective and insulating layer surrounding nerve fibers. This plays a critical role in the rapid and efficient transmission of electrical impulses and is essential for motor, sensory, and cognitive functions. The myelin sheath consists of a specific arrangement of lipids and proteins, with its composition and structure being crucial to its function. Changes in myelin, such as occurring in neurological diseases like multiple sclerosis or during the process of healthy ageing, can be assessed using MRI. However, systematically validated insights into how chemical and structural variations influence quantitative MRI images are still lacking – a knowledge gap that will be addressed in his research.
To better understand quantitative MRI measurements, Christian Langkammer is taking an unconventional approach: combining post-mortem MRI images of human brains with cutting-edge analytical methods such as laser-ablation mass spectrometry (for chemical analysis), synchrotron X-ray scattering (for studying material structures), and high-resolution microscopy techniques, alongside mathematical modeling and simulation. “The aim of this work is to create a detailed model linking microstructural (histological) properties of the brain to quantitaitive MRI parameters, and particularly to better understand and numerically describe pathological brain alterations in neurological diseases”. Additionally to fundamental insights into the biophysical mechanisms of MRI, this project will also establish a publicly accessible chemical and structural atlas of the human brain—a valuable tool for research fields beyond MRI.
More information about this award can be found here.
