Member Spotlight: Ronal Coronado

I am a physicist, and I like all things related to physical images. In this sense, I think magnetic resonance is one of the most incredible phenomena of physics, and I started in MR when I was an undergraduate in physics. My love for MR is related to the broad spectrum of applicability for MR, which is uncountable; in particular, its applicability in medicine allows saving lives. To have the combination of the fascinating MR world with the possibility to contribute to people’s health is the source of my inspiration. I feel that I can contribute with even a grain of sand to the complexity of issues in MR. In this stage of my professional career, I like to learn from different topics or technologies that can be applied to MR in order to improve the state of the art.

I have been an ISMRM member for 2 years. I joined the society because it is the most prestigious society for MR in medicine. I have the possibility to grow quickly knowing people related to my research area. My favourite study groups are MR of Cancer, Quantitative MR, PET MRI, MR Elastography, MR in Radiation Therapy, and Molecular & Cellular Imaging. The focus of all these groups can be applied in a complementary manner to solve complex diseases. For example, we can combine quantitative MR, PET MR, and Elastography MR to diagnose cancer and follow its progression. We can use MR in radiation therapy to measure its impact on the tissue. In short, all these groups can be combined to improve the current quality of medicine.

My wife and I have a beautiful dog named Napoleon. I enjoy playing various instruments in my free time. At this moment, I am learning to play cuatro, which is a typical string instrument from my country of birth, Venezuela. The cuatro is a fascinating instrument which allows me to be in touch with my culture, my history, and my people because I am living in another country, Chile. Additionally, I love sports—in particular, basketball, which I have been playing since childhood. It is a pleasure to not only play it but also watch the NBA games on TV.