# Down Field Spectroscopy at Ultrahigh Fields

> **NIH NIH P41** · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · 2024 · $188,712

## Abstract

TR&D3: Downfield Spectroscopy at Ultrahigh Fields
Project PIs: Walter Witschey, Ph.D. and Ravinder Reddy, Ph.D.
Abstract
This technology research and development component focuses on the development of downfield 1H magnetic
resonance spectroscopic (DFS) technologies to measure several important metabolites (NAD+, Glutamine, PCr,
Carnosine and ATP) that are not accessible from the conventional upfield spectroscopy (UFS), and serve as
biomarkers for different diseases. Specifically, it develops novel technologies including (i) Spectral selective
excitation pulses and spatially localized pulse sequences with optimal excitation profiles and capable of ultra-
short echo acquisition without water suppression (ii) Strategies to detect and assign the DFS metabolites and
measure cross-relaxation (iii) Optimal metabolic cycling schemes capable of providing simultaneous UFS and
DFS with short echo acquisition and (iv) a post-processing pipeline integrating receive coil selection, eddy current
correction and spectral curve fitting and metabolite quantitation. These technological developments are driven
by collaborations and service projects from within PENN and from other institutions distributed across the US
and abroad. Successful completion of the goals will lead to technologies that contribute to our improved
understanding of aging, neurodegeneration, mitochondrial disease in skeletal muscle and heart and, thereby
improving diagnosis of these disorders and guiding the development of targeted therapies and enabling
longitudinal evaluation of the efficacy of these therapies. Furthermore, wide dissemination of these technologies,
potential commercialization, and training of the next generation of biomedical scientists, will have sustained
national impact.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10870141
- **Project number:** 5P41EB029460-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Walter R.T. Witschey
- **Activity code:** P41 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $188,712
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-09-20 → 2026-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10870141

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10870141, Down Field Spectroscopy at Ultrahigh Fields (5P41EB029460-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-10 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10870141. Licensed CC0.

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