“MR Physics for Clinicians” Series: Enhancement for the <i>JMRI</i> CME Program (2012)

We have lost count of the number of times a clinician has approached us seeking a recent publication describing a particular magnetic resonance (MR) physics topic in conceptual terms for the nontechnical practitioner or a review article that succinctly summarizes the recent developments in an evolving area of MR physics. Over the years, numerous residents, fellows, and clinicians of varying specialties as well as junior graduate students have struggled to find comprehensive and up-to-date treatises on the principles of MR physics and their relevance in the clinical setting. It is exactly this need that has led to the well-received “MR Physics for Clinicians” series presented at the annual meeting of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. This long-running series has been enormously popular for the breadth and quality of MR physics topics presented in a comprehensible manner, emphasizing methodology and important conceptual terms without complex mathematics. Inspired by this tradition, we are proud to introduce a new JMRI endeavor “MR Physics for Clinicians,” a series of review articles to be published as part of the JMRI continuing medical education (CME) program. Together with Dr. Partain and the JMRI CME Committee we have solicited a comprehensive list of MR physics-related articles from a group of internationally recognized MR experts. These articles will form a state-of-the-art collection that will describe important principles of MR physics and their direct relevance to the practice of medicine. A total of 36 articles have been solicited and are in various stages of preparation, with a target rate of publication of one per month. At the conclusion of this 3-year cycle these articles will be published as a compendium of “MR Physics for Clinicians” articles. A wide spectrum of articles has been solicited, ranging from basic MR topics such as spin-echo and gradient-echo imaging through more advanced topics such as MR spectroscopy and diffusion-weighted imaging, and many topics in between. These articles will provide conceptual descriptions of MR physics in clinically relevant contexts with an emphasis on physical principles rather than the underlying mathematics. We are fortunate to have enlisted distinguished authors who are known not only for their deep understanding of MR physics but also for their ability to communicate advanced and complex topics in a clinically relevant context that we believe will be appealing to clinicians interested in gaining a greater depth of understanding of the technology that they are using in their daily practice. Endeavors such as this would not be possible without the great energy and enthusiasm of the JMRI Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Leon Partain, as well as his energetic and talented staff including Martha Tanner, Barbara Sammons, and Kerry King. We thank them for their tireless efforts. We also thank the JMRI CME Committee for their contributions in recommending topics and authors for these articles. It is our great hope that this new series of articles will further the educational mission of JMRI and the ISMRM with a comprehensive description of basic and advanced MR principles that will bridge the gap between clinical MR imaging and basic MR science.