Xinqiang Yan, Ph.D.
I received my Ph.D. in particle physics and nuclear physics from the Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2014. I also joined the Radiofrequency (RF) lab of the Institute of Biophysics in 2011, where I developed RF coils and RF/analog circuits for 7 T and 9.4 T scanners. At the end of 2014, I moved to Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow. In 2016, I joined the Vanderbilt faculty as a Research Instructor. I am currently a Research Associate Professor at the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Vanderbilt University and the Department of Radiology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. I am a recipient of the IEEE IMWS-BIO Best student paper award in 2013, and the Summa Cum Laude Award and Magna Cum Laude Award of ISMRM.
My research pursuits revolve around advancing engineering solutions to address the technical challenges encountered in the field of MRI. My primary objectives encompass improving RF and B0 homogeneity in high-field MRI, accelerating acquisition speed, reducing RF heating near implants, and enhancing the Signal-to-Noise Ratio. Our current research projects include: 1. Solving dark bands in tcMRgFUS using passive reflective antennas; 2. Developing next-generation integrated RF Tx/Rx and B0 shimming coils for 7T brain and spinal cord MRI; 3. Developing flexible RF coils and baluns; 4. Developing RF-transparent B0 shimming coil array; 5. Implementing low-cost wireless coils for clinical scanners; 6. Developing novel materials and devices to reduce RF-related heating near MRI implants.