Ravinder R. Regatte, PhD

Quantitative Multinuclear Musculoskeletal Imaging Group (QMMIG) is a multidisciplinary research group within the Center for Biomedical Imaging (CBI), Department of Radiology, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York. This group specifically focuses on the development of novel multinuclear imaging techniques for cartilage (osteoarthritis), trabecular bone (osteoporosis) and skeletal muscle (diabetes). This group is led by Drs. Ravinder Regatte, Ph.D. (Director) and Gregory Chang, MD (Clinical Director) to establish not only an excellent resource for other musculoskeletal imaging investigators but also for the rapid clinical translation of new state-of-the-art methodologies into the routine clinical environment. This goal will be accomplished with the help of excellent resources already available at CBI (state-of-the-art high and ultra high field magnets, RF engineering-core, pulse sequence-core, image reconstruction and post-processing core etc) and multi-departmental and multi-institutional collaborations between basic scientists and clinical researchers from around the world. We are also committed to provide excellent education and training opportunities for post-doctoral fellows, research scientists, clinical fellows, graduate students, radiology residents, and medical students who are interested in multinuclear musculoskeletal imaging methodologies. Research Goals & Directions The primary goal of the Quantitative Multinuclear Musculoskeletal Imaging Group (QMMIG) is to develop novel, quantitative, non-invasive, multinuclear (1H, 23Na and 31P) biomedical imaging technologies for early structural, biochemical, and functional assessment of various musculoskeletal disorders using high and ultra high field MRI systems. Specifically, these new technologies will focus on the development of quantitative imaging methods, new radio-frequency pulse sequences, image post-processing and visualization tools to interrogate the functional integrity of musculoskeletal tissues and the underlying biophysical mechanisms of various clinical diseases such as osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, and diabetes. QMMIG also focuses on the rapid clinical translation of new state-of-the-art methodologies into the routine clinical environment. These methodological developments and clinical translations are driven by multi-departmental and multi-institutional collaborations between basic scientists and clinical researchers from around the world. Our research projects are currently supported by multiple National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants, Bi-national Science Foundation (BSF), Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), Bayer Corporation, and intramural NYULMC Musculoskeletal Center of Excellence seed grants.