DR. MD

Assistant Professor, ANS - Brain Imaging Affiliatie VU Assistant Professor, Radiology and nuclear medicine

PI
Specialization

image analysis; cerebral hemodynamics; magnetic resonance imaging; brain aging; dementia

Focus of research

Henk (Henri JMM) Mutsaerts is an MD PhD with a passion for image processing. His research focuses on the development of arterial spin labeling (ASL) perfusion MRI as a biomarker in brain aging and dementia, and is stratified in three trajectories: 1) standardization, 2) interpretation, and 3) application of ASL as a cerebrovascular biomarker. 

  1. Standardization includes the development and standardization of image analysis to improve multi-center reproducibility. Henk leads the development of the worldwide-used open-source software ExploreASL, ASL-BIDS, and the standardization and automation of neuroimaging quality control.
  2. Interpretation entails the discovery of (patho-)physiological components in the ASL perfusion signal, focusing on vascular efficiency, brain atrophy, brain aging, and the blood-brain barrier permeability.
  3. Application of ASL as biomarker in clinical research (current impact), pharmaceutical trials (near-future impact) clinical radiological practice (future impact) to bridge research and clinical practice, also through collaborations with companies such as Gold Standard Phantoms, IXICO, mediri, QMenta, Philips Healthcare.