Jun
26
Date: 26-June-2026
Time: 1:00 PM ET (New York Time)
Presenter: Dr. Candace Fleischer
Website link: Join Webinar Link
Meeting information:
Meeting number: 2532 120 4228
Password: JHw2qzU4AM7 (54927984 when dialing from a video system)
Join by phone:
+1-415-655-0002 US Toll
Access code: 253 212 04228
https://gsumeetings.webex.com/gsumeetings/j.php?MTID=md2dfe2faee2961adf5391d7bd484f056
Join us Friday, June 26th, 2026, at 1:00 PM ET for an exciting virtual talk by Dr. Candace Fleischer entitled: “Development of 7T MRI protocols for neuroimaging applications in HIV” as part of the activities of the Brain Space Initiative, co-sponsored by the Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS) and the Data Science Initiative, IEEE Signal Processing Society.
Abstract
Development of 7T MRI protocols for neuroimaging applications in HIV
Although antiretroviral therapy effectively suppresses peripheral HIV-1 infection, persistent viral reservoirs within the central nervous system (CNS) remain a significant challenge. To address this, we are conducting a randomized, placebo-controlled Phase IIb trial investigating the effects of baricitinib on CNS HIV-1 persistence, with neuroimaging as a key secondary outcome. Participants undergo baseline and 10-week follow-up imaging on a 7 Tesla MRI system, incorporating multimodal acquisitions including high-resolution structural MRI, resting-state fMRI, MR spectroscopy, and diffusion-weighted imaging. By providing non-invasive measures of brain structure, function, perfusion, and neuroinflammation, this ultrahigh-field imaging approach aims to characterize CNS changes associated with HIV-1 and evaluate the potential impact of reducing viral reservoirs in the brain. In this presentation, I will discuss the development of the 7T neuroimaging protocol and present baseline results.
Biography
Candace Fleischer received the Ph.D. in chemistry and spectroscopy, at Georgia Institute of Technology.
She is currently associate professor of radiology and biomedical engineering at Emory University in Atlanta, GA. She currently directs the Biomedical Spectroscopy and Imaging Laboratory where her group is focused on MR spectroscopy and thermometry in the healthy and injured brain, particularly focused on cancer, HIV, stroke, and traumatic brain injury.
Recommended Articles:
• Fleischer, CC et al. Study protocol for neuroimaging using 7 T MRI in the investigation of baricitinib for reduction of HIV in the CNS: a randomized placebo-controlled trial. BMC Med Imaging 2026;26:127. (Link to Paper).
• Balaganesh, A … and Fleischer, CC. Sex and age differences in brain metabolism and cognition in adolescents. Imag Neuroscience 2026;4:IMAG.a.1159. (Link to Paper).
• Liu, Z, … and Fleischer, CC. Associations Between Brain Metabolites Measured With MR Spectroscopy and Head Impacts in High School American Football Athletes. J Magn Reson Imaging, 2025;61:1738-1750. (Link to Paper).
• Sung, D, Risk, BB, Wang, KJ, Allen, JW and Fleischer, CC. Resting-State Brain Temperature: Dynamic Fluctuations in Brain Temperature and the Brain–Body Temperature Gradient. J Magn Reson Imaging, 2023;57:1222-1228. (Link to Paper).
• Sung, D, Risk, BB, Kottke, PA, Allen, JW, Nahab, FN, Fedorov, AG and Fleischer CC. Comparisons of healthy human brain temperature predicted from biophysical modeling and measured with whole brain MR thermometry. Sci Rep 12, 19285 (2022). (Link to Paper).
