Useful guidance for research in medical physics

[snatchingthepi]

It's looking like I'm going to get funding for a research MSc in medical physics, working specifically with MRI technology on in-vitro rat brains looking at models of diagnosing disorders of the nervous system. I was just wondering if anyone had any useful advise or guidance for some things to prep over the coming summer. I've been away from formal physics since 2015 and am getting back into the swing of it.

I've rereading my notes and books, and have thoroughly gone through my linear algebra and calculus again to get the details back in my head. Just wondering if anyone had anything to add on to the effect of "xyz is extremely important for MRI" or "I found abc really useful to know" or "make sure you can do calculus of variations" or whatever.

 

[berkeman]

It's looking like I'm going to get funding for a research MSc in medical physics, working specifically with MRI technology on in-vitro rat brains looking at models of diagnosing disorders of the nervous system. I was just wondering if anyone had any useful advise or guidance for some things to prep over the coming summer.

Congrats on the funding for work on those interesting and important subjects! You will get good advice and replies to your question, but I'd just like to ask which journals do you read regularly? There is a lot of work being done in Medical Physics and Imaging, and a lot of good papers being published. Which journals do you try to read on a regular basis, and which papers have you found the most interesting recently?

 

[snatchingthepi]

Congrats on the funding for work on those interesting and important subjects! You will get good advice and replies to your question, but I'd just like to ask which journals do you read regularly? There is a lot of work being done in Medical Physics and Imaging, and a lot of good papers being published. Which journals do you try to read on a regular basis, and which papers have you found the most interesting recently?

I haven't read much apart from what's happened inside the lab I'll be working at. Do you know the journals of the field? That's be helpful information.

I did find a paper on hyper-polarisation for increasing resolution to be pretty fascinating. Some complicated process involving the surface of diamonds. I couldn't quite the details from memory.

 

[Dr. Courtney]

I'd start with published papers and theses from the research group you'll be in. Those will also help you identify the most important journals. When reading the introductions and method sections, those papers will also cite important papers regarding the techniques they've used or that their new techniques depend on or improve upon. You can also use Google Scholar to identify which later papers cite the papers your research group has written.

My experience is that it can take hundreds or thousands of hours to come up the learning curve and become familiar with the literature in a new area.

 

[Choppy]

I'd recommend brushing up on the fundamental aspects of signal and image processing. Fourier transforms, filters, convolutions, image reconstruction, compression, segmentation, Radon transforms, the Bloch equation, etc. I'm sure you'll be taking a course or two that reviews all of this, but depending on how the course is taught, the math can come at you fast and furious if you're not ready for it. If you can, look up the textbooks for your courses or get some recommendations from the instructors, go through them and brush up on the math and fundamental topics they cover.

 

[snatchingthepi]

Thanks everyone. I'll take all this to heart. Especially you Dr Courtney.