L. Tugan Muftuler

Dr. L. Tugan Muftuler is a Professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin, specializing in MRI technology development. His research focuses on advancing MRI techniques for neuroimaging, musculoskeletal imaging, and quantitative analysis of intervertebral disc degeneration. With a PhD in Electrical Engineering from Orta Dogu Technical University and postdoctoral training at UC Irvine, he has led innovations in diffusion MRI, non-Cartesian sampling methods, and RF coil design. He is Director of the MR Engineering and MREIT division (previously at UC Irvine) and has pioneered techniques like mean apparent propagator MRI and optimized SENSE imaging.

His academic credentials include a UNESCO Fellowship, NATO postdoctoral award, and multiple awards from the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, including 2006 Engineering Award and 2014 musculoskeletal MRI prize. His work addresses clinical challenges through collaborations across engineering and medical disciplines, with notable contributions to understanding post-concussion brain changes and spinal degeneration mechanisms.

Key research themes include fast imaging protocols, spinal MRI biomarkers, and MRI-based electrical impedance tomography (MREIT). His lab develops both hardware (RF coils) and software (image reconstruction algorithms), with recent focus on machine learning for SMS reconstruction optimization. He has authored over 50 peer-reviewed papers, spanning topics from 7T cardiac imaging to fighter pilot spine biomechanics.