The event was attended by over 60 RDM colleagues who heard Vanessa speak passionately about her 15 years of research on the use of cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in the study of heart disease. Her work focuses on the CMR characterisation of myocardial tissue and how parametric mapping techniques, specifically myocardial T1-mapping, can be developed to gain a greater understanding of heart disease. T1-mapping provides high resolution, pixel-wise quantitative maps of body tissue based on the tissue’s T1 relaxation time, which is an MR property that can be measured using MRI scans. The heart has a range of normal T1 values, values outside of which can indicate heart disease. T1-mapping generates a map of the heart which can locate small areas of disease in a quantitative manner. The technique examines the heart more thoroughly beyond what can be done using conventional MRI scans, and without the need for invasive contrast injections.
Professor Ferreira was awarded the title of Full Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine in the University’s 2023 Recognition of Distinction exercise.