Martina Callaghan

Professor Martina Callaghan is a leading academic in MRI Physics at University College London, affiliated with the UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology and the Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging. She holds the title of Professor of MRI Physics since 2020 and has been Head of the Research Department of Imaging Neuroscience since 2022. Her research focuses on microstructural and quantitative imaging of the human brain to understand cortical layers and functional organization.

• BSc in Applied Physics from University of Limerick (2001)
• PhD in MRI Physics from Imperial College London (2005)

Her research interests include:

• Microstructural imaging of the human brain
• Quantitative MRI techniques
• High-resolution image acquisition and reconstruction
• Modeling neural organization at cortical layers
• Application of Gadgetron and SPM software
• Development of 7T MRI systems for intra-cortical studies

Her recent publications emphasize advancements in 7T MRI methodologies, motion artifact correction, and biophysical modeling for studying brain microstructure and cognition. She leads the Wellcome-funded Discovery Research Platform for Naturalistic Neuroimaging, aiming to enable neural recordings during real-world interactions. Martina also lectures on the MSc for Advanced Neuroimaging and contributes to international conferences like ISMRM and OHBM.

At UCL, she oversees the Physics Group at the Functional Imaging Laboratory (FIL), collaborating extensively in neuroimaging infrastructure development. Her work bridges computational neuroscience, clinical neurology, and medical imaging technology.