iHEALTH shines at the 36th Annual International Meeting of the Society for Magnetic Resonance Angiography
Between November 12 and 15, Santiago hosted the 36th Annual International Meeting of the Society for Magnetic Resonance Angiography (SMRA), marking a milestone as the first time this prestigious event took place in Latin America. In a setting that brought together international leaders in magnetic resonance imaging, the iHEALTH Millennium Institute played a central role, standing out both in organizing the event and presenting groundbreaking scientific advancements.
Dr. Claudia Prieto, iHEALTH Director, and Dr. René Botnar, Principal Investigator, served as Scientific Co-Chairs, ensuring a top-tier academic program. During the conference, several iHEALTH members showcased cutting-edge research, spanning innovations in cardiac, pulmonary, and hepatic imaging, artificial intelligence, and process automation in magnetic resonance imaging.
Among the highlights, iHEALTH engineer Tabita Catalán received the prestigious SMRA Potchen/Passariello Award for Best Science/Technical Abstract for her research titled “Accelerated cardiac cine MRI using Implicit Neural Representations Unsupervised Reconstruction.” Her work introduces advanced techniques for reconstructing cardiac images, revolutionizing speed and accuracy in this critical area of diagnosis.
iHEALTH contributions included oral presentations and pitches across various scientific sessions. Rafael De la Sotta, an iHEALTH engineer, presented “Isotropic 3D whole-heart SAVA T1 mapping at 0.55T with iNAV-based motion-correction,” while Matías Paredes, another institute engineer, showcased “Simultaneous 3D Aortic Lumen and Vessel Wall Systolic and Diastolic Imaging at 0.55T.” Diego Pedraza, a UC doctoral student, discussed advancements in “T1, T2 and fat-fraction Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting at 0.55T,” demonstrating the institute's leadership in low-field magnetic resonance innovation.
During the Scientific Session V: Flow, Modeling, and Processing, Dr. Julio Sotelo, an iHEALTH Adjunct Investigator, delivered the talk “From Error correction to visualization: how to extract quantitative results from phase-contrast MRI data.” Additionally, Aaron Ponce, a UV doctoral student, presented his study “4D flow MRI data processing automation.” Wrapping up the day, Nicolás Garrido, a UC doctoral student, introduced his work “Free breathing self-navigated 3D iNAV joint T1-T2 and fat fraction mapping for whole-liver tissue characterization at 0.55T.”
On the final day, Dr. Francisco Sahli, an iHEALTH Principal Investigator, presented his research “Physics-informed neural network for cardiac cine MR strain estimation considering fiber contractility,” while Carlota Rivera, an iHEALTH and IMPACT engineer, showcased her study “3D Myocardial Segmentation in Whole-Heart Joint T1/T2 mapping: nnU-Net vs. MA-SAM.”
Another standout moment was the participation of Dr. Pablo Irarrazaval, an iHEALTH Senior Investigator, in the plenary session “Early Career Development,” where he shared his experience and inspired young researchers to develop health-focused technologies. Dr. Domingo Mery, a Principal Investigator at iHEALTH, addressed the applications of artificial intelligence for personalized disease predictions, emphasizing the role of medical imaging in precision diagnostics.
iHEALTH’s presence at this international event underscores its commitment to generating knowledge and applying innovative technologies in health. Their participation not only positions Chile as a regional leader but also highlights the impact of interdisciplinary research in improving outcomes for patients and healthcare professionals worldwide.
