Itamar Ronen

Itamar Ronen is a Professor and Chair in Medical Physics at the Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex. He also serves as the Academic Director of the Clinical Imaging Science Centre (CISC), focusing on clinical neuroscience. Previously, he held positions at Leiden University Medical Center (Netherlands), Boston University School of Medicine, and conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Minnesota.

His educational background includes a PhD in Physical Chemistry from Tel Aviv University, where he worked with Prof. Gil Navon on indirect NMR detection of 17-O for metabolic imaging applications.

Ronen's research is centered on advancing magnetic resonance spectroscopy and imaging techniques, particularly diffusion-weighted MRS and functional MRS, to study brain cell-specific microstructure and metabolism. He also develops novel methods for ultralow field MRI, with a focus on in vivo lactate detection and quantification of small molecules in aqueous environments. His work bridges physics, neuroscience, and clinical applications in neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders.

His recent publications (2023–2025) demonstrate a strong focus on neuroimaging in conditions such as bipolar disorder, HIV-related depression, Huntington’s disease, Pompe disease, and dementia. He employs ultrahigh (7T) and portable low-field MRI systems, emphasizing methodological innovation and clinical translation. Key themes include metabolite diffusion, neuroinflammation, mitochondrial metabolism, and brain microstructure.

• Feasibility of obtaining brain structural diagnostic markers in dementia with ultra-low field MRI – Alzheimer’s Research UK (2024–2026)
• DTI and MRS Correlates of Aging in Monkeys – National Institute on Aging (2007–2009)
• Effects of Drug Use and Cessation on Monkey Brain – National Institute on Drug Abuse (2002–2005)
• NMR Imaging and Spectroscopy – National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (1993–2013)

He has contributed to consensus guidelines in diffusion-weighted MRS and developed the course "Imaging in Brain Diseases" (2023). He leads a research team at CISC, focusing on clinical imaging science, and collaborates widely across neuroscience and physics domains.