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MRI Project wins 2016 DoC Gold Medal
Secretary Pritzker (second from left) and Deputy Secretary Andrews (left) with the NIST Associate Director for Laboratory Programs, Kent Rochford (right) and the NIST team members who received the Department of Commerce's inaugural Ron Brown Excellence in Innovation Award: Doctors Kathryn Keenan (third from left), Stephen Russek (third from right), and Michael Boss (second from right).
The group is recognized for transforming magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) into a quantitative tool for unambiguously diagnosing and monitoring disease by creating a suite of calibration standards, or "phantom," that for the first time enable MRI images to be compared across machines and over time. By mimicking key attributes of the body, the phantoms ensure that MRI images provide quantifiable and traceable data to treat conditions including traumatic brain injury, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. The team successfully transferred their technology to foster widespread adoption.