ISMRM25 - Tuesday Plenary

ISMRM & ISMRT Annual Meeting & Exhibition • 10-15 May 2025 • Honolulu, Hawai'i

Tuesday Plenary

Plenary Session

ORGANIZERS: Jessica Bastiaansen, Wietske van der Zwaag

Tuesday, 13 May 2025

Plenary Hall

10:30 - 12:00

Moderators: Jessica Bastiaansen & Wietske van der Zwaag

Session Number: P-02

No CME/CE Credit

Session Number: P-02

Overview
This plenary session explores the emerging field of cross-organ communication, highlighting how MRI can be used to investigate complex physiological interactions between the brain, heart, and liver. As systems biology becomes increasingly central to understanding disease mechanisms, there is a growing need to develop and apply imaging techniques that transcend traditional organ-based approaches. Through three expert talks, this session will examine neuro-immune-cardiovascular signaling, the liver-brain axis in cognitive dysfunction, and the neural regulation of cardiac function. By showcasing integrative MRI approaches, this session aims to stimulate new directions in research, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and inspire translational innovation.

Target Audience
Researchers in neuroimaging, cardiovascular imaging, and abdominal imaging, as well as those interested in multi-organ and systems-level imaging; Clinicians and translational scientists working on diseases with multi-organ involvement (e.g., heart failure, hepatic encephalopathy, systemic inflammation); Biomedical engineers and physicists developing novel imaging sequences or analytic methods; Trainees seeking to expand their understanding of MRI applications beyond a single organ system.

Educational Objectives
As a result of attending this course, participants should be able to:
• Describe the role of MRI in assessing communication pathways between the brain, heart, and liver, including key physiological and pathological mechanisms;
• Identify some MRI-based biomarkers and imaging strategies that capture multi-organ dysfunction in conditions such as liver disease, cardiovascular disease, and neuroinflammatory disorders; and
• Evaluate the potential of integrative MRI approaches to inform diagnosis, treatment planning, and monitoring of complex, multi-system diseases.

View Full Session Recording

10:30		NIBIB New Horizons Lecture: Quantitative MRI Biomarkers for Chronic Liver Disease View Presentation Video Shintaro Ichikawa Impact: MRI allows for the non-invasive diagnosis of liver fat, iron, and fibrosis in a single examination, making it a “one-stop shop” for the evaluation of chronic liver disease. MRE has shown the greatest diagnostic accuracy for staging liver fibrosis. IVIM has an even stronger potential than DWI.
11:00		Cross-Body Conversations: Imaging the Neuro-Immune-Cardiovascular Axis View Presentation Video Philip Robson Impact: 18F-FDG PET/MRI and MRI are able to image key components of the neuro-immune-cardiovascular axis, shedding light on the interactions that contribute to the development of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease risk.
11:20		The Liver-Brain Axis: Examining Cognitive Dysfunction Across the Spectrum of Liver Disease Jennifer Lai Impact: Explore how liver dysfunction affects the brain—from encephalopathy to early-onset dementia—using MRI, radiomics, and cognitive testing. Learn how advanced imaging may bridge gaps in diagnosis and uncover mechanisms of the liver-brain axis.
11:40		Heart-Brain Conversations: A Window on Glymphatic & Autonomic Functions View Presentation Video Marta Bianciardi Impact: Brain-heart interactions via both the vascular compartment and the visceral nervous system are a window into glymphatic and autonomic functions. This lecture aims at describing current cutting-edge MRI and neuromodulation techniques used to investigate these interactions.