Iris Asllani

Dr. Iris Asllani is an Associate Professor in Imaging Science (Clinical Neuroscience) at Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex. Her work bridges advanced MRI development and clinical neuroscience, with a focus on quantitative imaging of cerebral blood flow, metabolism, and brain connectivity. She leads initiatives in global MRI access, particularly through her leadership in the Consortium for Advancement of MRI Education and Research in Africa (CAMERA).

Dr. Asllani's educational journey includes a degree in Theoretical Nuclear Physics from the University of Tirana, Albania, followed by a Master’s and Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of Washington, Seattle, as a two-time Fulbright Scholar. She spent a decade at Columbia University Medical Center, where she led the Arterial Spin Labeling perfusion MRI program for multiple NIH-funded studies.

Her research interests center on refining MRI sequences and analysis techniques to measure cerebral blood flow, oxygen metabolism, neurotransmitter levels, and brain connectivity. Applications include early diagnosis of Alzheimer's, stroke, TBI, and monitoring psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. She emphasizes improving the precision and accuracy of quantitative MRI for both clinical and research use.

Recent publications highlight trends in multi-modal neuroimaging, arterial spin labeling, brain metabolism in bipolar disorder, glymphatic system imaging, and expanding MRI access in low-resource settings. Her work increasingly integrates global health perspectives, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, with a focus on training and sustainable infrastructure.

• Fulbright Scholar (two-time recipient)

Dr. Asllani has supervised students through Engineering World Health and her Study Abroad neuroimaging course. She has secured research grants from the Lily Foundation, Dysautonomia International, and the University of Sussex, supporting work on mitochondrial diseases, 'brain fog' in POTS, and in-vivo glymphatic flow measurement. She also mentors students in biomedical engineering and clinical neuroscience.

She is a founding member and former Chair of the Advisory Board of CAMERA, a global network dedicated to improving MRI access and training in Africa. She has organized international conferences, including with the ISMRM Africa Chapter, and promotes multidisciplinary collaboration in neuroimaging research and education.