Professor Harish Poptani elected as a Senior Fellow of the International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine

Professor Harish Poptani from the Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology (ISMIB) and the Chair of the Centre for Preclinical Imaging (CPI) has been elected as a Senior Fellow of the International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM).

ISMRM is an international scientific association whose mission is to promote communication, research, development, and applications in the field of magnetic resonance in medicine and biology and other related topics. Its membership of over 8000 includes clinicians, physicists, engineers, biochemists and technologists from several different countries.

The ISMRM Senior Fellow Award is bestowed upon scientists for significant and substantial contribution to research in the field within the society’s purposes. Professor Poptani was recognised for his work on developing MRI and MRS markers for monitoring early treatment response in cancer, particularly the spectroscopic biomarkers of apoptosis and monitoring treatment response to cancer gene therapy by diffusion weighted MRI.

Professor Poptani joined the University of Liverpool in December 2014. He has been working on developing cutting edge translational MRI and MRS markers for assessing early treatment response in cancer for over 30 years. He has published 141 peer reviewed papers and several book chapters.

Professor Poptani said:  unnecessary toxicities and costs from ineffective therapeutic regimens. As research in biological science is a team effort, I would really like to thank my mentors, colleagues, collaborators, students and most of all, the patients, who volunteered to participate in our work”

Professor Michael Schmid, head of the department of MCCM said: “In the department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, one of our research goals is to improve cancer patient treatments and to better monitor their response to therapies. Prof Harish Poptani’s work focuses on using state-of-the-art non-invasive in vivo imaging technologies to monitor how tumours respond to therapeutic interventions in preclinical models, bringing us one step closer to our goal.  Harish’s research on cancer, and cancer research carried out at the University of Liverpool in general, is well recognised at an international level. I am very happy for Harish and his team for bringing this prestigious award to Liverpool. Congratulations!”

Professor Sonia Rocha, Executive Dean of ISMIB said: “I am very happy that Harish’s commitment and dedication has been rewarded with this Fellowship award. Many congratulations and very well deserved!”