Objective Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of death with 60% of CVDs associated with coronary artery diseases (CAD). CAD is the major cause of myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as heart attack, which can be life threatening and places a huge socio-economic burden on the EU. The most widely used therapy for CAD is revascularization, and myocardial viability is a determining factor and predictor for patient outcomes. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become a mainstay of clinical diagnosis, but so far has seen limited use in the study of the heart. Here I aim to unlock the potential of myocardial viability imaging with physiometabolic MRI to provide a new instrument for the diagnosis and assessment of therapy success of CAD. Therefore I propose a quantitative approach based on MRI of sodium (23Na) that will allow me to observe new features of the working heart, at a level of resolution that will be highly valuable in understanding, finely diagnosing, and designing treatments for CVD. To meet this goal I pursue the development of cutting edge sodium MRI technology. Its capacity for quantitative assessment of sodium tissue content will be validated in model systems and in healthy subjects. The clinical applicability of 23Na MRI for viability imaging will be examined in revascularized MI patients. For this purpose I will leverage the sensitivity gain inherent to ultrahigh field MRI (B0≥7.0 T), capitalize on my outstanding expertise in the field of physiometabolic MRI and build on my interdisciplinary skills formed around MRI physics. In this project, this expertise will be taken to the next level to elucidate the progression of sodium concentration in ischemic myocardial tissue. This research will eliminate the main barriers to the study of tissue viability and will open entirely new possibilities for non-invasive, in vivo phenotyping as a tool for individualised medicine tailored to offset a major socio-economic burden on the EU induced by CVD. Fields of science natural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistryalkali metalsmedical and health sciencesclinical medicinecardiologycardiovascular diseasesengineering and technologymedical engineeringdiagnostic imagingmagnetic resonance imaging Keywords tissue viability imaging sodium magnetic resonance imaging at ultra-high field strength Programme(s) H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Main Programme H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility Topic(s) MSCA-IF-2016 - Individual Fellowships Call for proposal H2020-MSCA-IF-2016 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF) Coordinator MAX DELBRUECK CENTRUM FUER MOLEKULARE MEDIZIN IN DER HELMHOLTZ-GEMEINSCHAFT (MDC) Net EU contribution € 171 460,80 Address ROBERT ROSSLE STRASSE 10 13125 Berlin Germany See on map Region Berlin Berlin Berlin Activity type Research Organisations Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 171 460,80