Member Spotlight: Udunna Anazodo

I became interested in MRI in 2005 when I attended a lecture on comparative medical imaging during my undergraduate studies and saw a perfusion image of the brain that was acquired without the use of a contrast agent. This is where my love for arterial spin labelling (ASL) began. In 2009, as a graduate student, I helped develop an ASL-based approach for mapping regional changes in brain tissue perfusion during vasoactive stimulation. For an upcoming transcontinental project with fellow ISMRM colleagues, we aim to develop a robust technique for mapping blood-brain barrier permeability using ASL.

I have been a member of ISMRM since 2011. I joined ISMRM and have stayed a member of the society to continue to grow my knowledge on the dynamic and evolving MR techniques for neuroimaging and to make valuable connections with other MR professionals from around the world.

ISMRM is truly the place where one can go to find great minds working on leading-edge MR technology development, sequence development, and clinical applications. It is the best place to find colleagues to collaborate with to help design clinically relevant MR imaging tools for better characterization of complex diseases. I have met radiologists, physicists, neurologists, psychologists, and even a chemist working on MR spectroscopy techniques (shout out to Candace Fleischer at Emory).

I am a member of the EDI Committee and the AMPC. I am also the secretary for the PET/MRI Study Group Governing Committee. ISMRM has always been a welcoming place for me to discuss and share ideas that will help improve the use of MR in medical imaging. Volunteering through the various committees and participating in the study groups have enriched my experience at ISMRM and allowed me to contribute to efforts to advance the use of MR in medical imaging. I plan to continue my work in advancing MR education and research practice in the developing world through volunteering with various committees and respectful engagement with ISMRM leadership.