# Renal MRI Biomarkers: The Route to Clinical Adoption

> **NIH NIH R13** · CHILDREN'S HOSP OF PHILADELPHIA · 2021 · $10,000

## Abstract

Project Summary/ Abstract
Functional renal MRI biomarkers are underused in research and clinical practice due to the need for
dedicated in-house expertise and development. Transferring solutions to other centers is therefore a
challenge, leading to a significant duplication of efforts, a lack of standardization in the methods, and
difficulties in comparing results between centers. This also limits commercial buy-in, hinders the
establishment of multi-center trials, and overall impedes the translation of these biomarkers into clinical
practice. Our proposed workshop (https://www.ismrm.org/workshops/2021/Renal/) aims to bridge this
gap. The purpose of this workshop is to bring together internationally recognized scientists and clinicians
with new investigators who are currently developing and applying advanced renal MRI techniques in
order to investigate the causes and consequences of kidney disease. The program of this workshop
integrates clinical presentations outlining the needs for non-invasive testing and biomarkers with
presentations on recent advances in contrast-based MRI, new applications of relaxometry, diffusion, and
elastography, multinuclear applications, pre-clinical animal studies, and application of artificial
intelligence techniques. With an important focus on the next generation, the workshop will include
mentoring sessions for trainees and new investigators, called “Meet the Experts.” These mentoring
sessions will provide specific information on clinical trials design, funding and regulations, as well as a
hands-on “how I do it” sessions on available imaging post-processing software. This workshop is
designed for researchers (including Ph.D. students and postdocs); clinicians (e.g., radiologists,
nephrologists, renal transplant surgeons); MR technologists; government regulatory experts; nonprofit
and academic groups interested in early diagnosis of renal disease; as well as members of the ISMRM,
ASN, and PARENCHIMA. The program is designed for both senior investigators and junior scientists, with
relevant topics for our attendees interested in continuing medical education. It presents knowledge of
new methodologies in using quantitative MRI to diagnose and monitor a range of medical conditions,
e.g., renal tissue injury, oxygenation, contrast and non-contrast perfusion, renal pre-transplant and post-
transplant evaluations, etc. We will provide methods for utilizing this knowledge in clinical trials and
practice, as well as guidance on data analysis. A key element of our plan is to reach out to women and
minorities to encourage them to attend and participate in our workshop. This workshop will be a first in
North America but follows three previous European meetings co-organized by the UK Renal Imaging
Network (UKRIN) and the COST action “MRI Biomarkers for Chronic Kidney Disease” (PARENCHIMA).
(https://renalmri.org). These previous workshops were attended by over 150 participants and
presenters. Thus, we expect robust interest in...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10318381
- **Project number:** 1R13DK130516-01
- **Recipient organization:** CHILDREN'S HOSP OF PHILADELPHIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Suraj D Serai
- **Activity code:** R13 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $10,000
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-08-15 → 2022-08-14

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10318381

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10318381, Renal MRI Biomarkers: The Route to Clinical Adoption (1R13DK130516-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10318381. Licensed CC0.

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