A Conversation with Aviv Mezer (OHBM 2023 Keynote Interview Series Pt. 5)

By Alfie Wearn and Faruk Gulban

Exploring quantitative MRI and 'in vivo histology'

Dr. Aviv Mezer is an Associate Professor at the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences (ELSC) at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel.

Dr. Mezer’s lab is focused on mapping human brain structures during normal development and aging. In addition, it is focused on developing new approaches to characterize the structural changes associated with neurological disorders. Mezer’s main research tool is in vivo quantitative magnetic resonance imaging – qMRI. The Mezer lab is developing tools to biophysically explain the brain’s MRI signals at different levels and resolutions: from molecular local sources through cellular organization to the mapping of networks across the entire brain.

In this interview, we discuss the field of qMRI more broadly, touching upon the present and future interpretations of "in vivo histology." We also discuss Dr Mezer’s approach to mentorship, as well as the skills that would benefit future researchers in this field.
At OHBM 2023, Dr. Mezer will show us how combining multiple quantitative MRI measures can provide additional biological information about tissue composition and brain health.  

You can find the video interview here and listen to the audio-only podcast version here (or on your podcast app of choice).