Alix Plumley
Research student, School of Psychology
- plumleyaj@cardiff.ac.uk
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre, Maindy Road, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ
Overview
Third-year PhD student working in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods development. Stronger magnetic fields in MRI allow higher signal- and contrast-to-noise which could provide great clinical value. However technical difficulties also arise from the higher field strength. Specialist hardware and software have been developed to overcome these obstacles, but their use is not yet widespread and requires further development. I am focusing on software solutions to overcome several of these issues, with the long-term goal that the benefits of UHF can be readily applied within clinical settings. I am also a postgraduate rep for the School of Psychology.
Research
Research interests
My interests include radiofrequency pulse design for parallel transmission (pTx) in ultra-high field MRI (7 Tesla). MRI using pTx is especially sensitive to head motion, meaning images acquired from subjects (especially those who may have trouble keeping still) often suffer from artifacts, compromising their clinical utility. The effects of motion in pTx are complex since electromagnetic fields interfere constructively and destructively. My PhD involves investigating these effects with the aim to better characterize, and therefore mitigate them. I am developing and testing various pulse design approaches with the aim of improving image quality and safety assurance when motion occurs in pTx. My work primarily involves electromagnetic simulations using theories from signal processing, electromagnetism and machine learning. I also plan for experimental validation using CUBRIC's 7 Tesla scanner. More generally, I am also interested in quantitative MRI, signal processing, electromagnetic and systems modelling, and artificial intelligence.
Research / Research Topics and Related Papers:
- Plumley A, Watkins L, Kopanoglu E. Large tip-angle, motion robust pulse design for parallel transmission at 7T using composite B1 distributions. Proc. 28th ISMRM, 2020.
- Watkins L, Plumley A, Murphy K, Kopanoglu E. Motion Robust Parallel Transmission Excitation Pulse Design for Ultra-High Field MRI. Proc. 28th ISMRM, 2020.
- Kopanoglu E, Plumley A, Erturk A, Deniz CM, Wise RG. Implications of within-scan patient head motion on B1+ homogeneity and Specific Absorption Rate at 7T. Proc. 27th ISMRM, Montreal, Canada, 2019.
Research/Funding:
UKRI (EPSRC) funded.
Awarded scholarship from The Rabin Ezra Scholarship Trust (2020).
Research Group:
Teaching
I previously delivered regular undergraduate tutorials on scientific report writing and statistics, including coursework (reports) and exam script marking.
