Corey Baron is interested in developing multidimensional imaging biomarkers for ultra-high field MRI, and using them to learn more about the brain. Measuring a multidimensional imaging biomarker is another way of saying to measure multiple tissue parameters at the same time, which can greatly improve the ability to diagnose a condition. In MRI, there are many different types of tissue parameters that can be measured. Dr Baron is especially interested in diffusion MRI, which measures the average random motion of molecules. The motion of the molecules is altered by cell membranes and organelles, and diffusion MRI can give insight into specific microstructure characteristics of the tissue like cell size, shape, and density. In essence, this allows a completely non-invasive virtual microscopy of tissue inside the brain.
