My primary research focuses on the theoretical and experimental
aspects of Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy. Early in my
career, I devoted considerable attention to the spectroscopic analysis
of in-vivo cardiac metabolism in the normal and failing heart using
both 13C- and 31P NMR methods. During the course of these studies a
spatial localization technique was developed which enabled the
sampling of myocardial biochemistry non-invasively from the outer
surface to the inner surface of the heart. This has permitted the
acquisition of an intra-organ rate measurement, namely the transmural
analysis of the forward creatine kinase rate. In addition, an in-vivo
analysis of Krebs cycle activity as a function of changing work in the
intact in-vivo myocardium has also been conducted. The primary
questions were centered on how the myocardium regulates its choice of
oxidized substrate as a function of increased work. More recently, I
have concentrated on the development of new instrumentation for MRI.
This has included the design and assembly of the first torque
compensated asymmetric gradient coil. From 1995-2000, I was
responsible for conceiving and assembling the world's first ultra high
field clinical MRI system. This multi-million dollar system is now
housed within University Hospitals and operates at a field strength of
8 Tesla. In order to ensure the success of this instrument, I also
led the effort to construct new high frequency (340 MHz) RF coils of
sufficient size to excite the human head. The 8 Tesla MRI system has
now acquired some of the world's most spectacular images of the human
brain. My current interests lie in gaining an understanding of RF
power requirements in MRI and in the fundamental understanding of
signal to noise. In turning my attention to this problem, I seek an
increased understanding of what it means to say that NMR is a
"thermal" method. This has renewed my interest in the study of
thermodynamics and blackbody radiation.
Robitaille P-M.L., Abduljalil A.M., Kangarlu A., Zhang X., Yu Y., Burgess R., Bair S., Noa P., Yang L., Zhu H., Palmer B., Jiang Z., Chakeres D.M., and Spigos D. (1998) Human Magnetic Resonance Imaging at Eight Tesla. NMR Biomed. 11, 263-265.
Robitaille P-M.L., Warner R., Jagadeesh J., Abduljalil A.M., Kangarlu A., Burgess R.E., Yu Y., Yang L., Zhu H., Jiang Z., Bailey R.E., Chung W., Somawiharja Y., Feynan P., and Rayner D. (1999) Design and Assembly of an 8 Tesla Whole Body MRI Scanner. J. Comp. Assist. Tomog. 23:808-820.
Robitaille P-M.L. (1999) Black-Body and Transverse Electromagnetic (TEM) Resonators Operating at 340 MHz: Volume RF Coils for UHFMRI. J. Comp. Assist. Tomogr. 23:879-890.
Robitaille P-M.L., Abduljalil AM and Kangarlu A. (2000) Ultra High Resolution Imaging of the Human Head at 8 Tesla: 2K x 2K for Y2K. J Comp. Assist. Tomogr., 24:2-7.
Baertlein B.A., Ozbay O., Ibrahim T., Lee R., Yu Y., Kangarlu A., and Robitaille P-M.L. (2000) Theoretical Model for a MRI Radio Frequency Resonator. IEEE Trans. Biomed. Eng. 47(4):535-546.
Rath, D.P., Bailey, M., Zhang, H., Jiang, Z., Abdujalill, A., Weisbrode, S., Hamlin, R.L. and Robitaille, P-M.L. (1995). "31P-NMR studies of chronic myocardial ischemia in the Yucatan micropig," J. Clin. Invest. 95: 151-157.
Abduljalil, A.M., Aletras, A.H., and Robitaille, R-M.L. (1995) "3D steady state echo planar imaging: application to the human head," Magn. Reson. Med. 34: 144-148.
Abduljalil, A.M., Aletras, A.H., and Robitaille, P-M.L. (1994). "Torque free asymmetric gradient coils for echo planar imaging," Mag. Reson. Med. 31: 450-453.
Robitaille, P-M.L., Rath, D., Skinner, T.E., Abduljalil, A., and Hamilin, R.L. (1993). "Transaminase reaction rates, transport activities and TCA cycle analysis by post-steady state 13C-NMR," Magn.Reson. Med. 30: 262-266.
Robitaille, P-M.L., Rath, D., Abduljalil, A., O'Donnell, J.M., Jiang, Z., Zhang, H., and Hamlin, R.L. (1993). "Dynamic 13C-NMR analysis of oxidative metabolism in the in-vivo myocardium," J. Biol. Chem. 268(15): 26296-26301.
Return to Chemical Physics HomePage