Researcher Profiles

Dr. Melanie Martin

Associate Professor, Physics Department

Can you share a brief description of your current research.

I am developing state-of-the-art, accurate, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques for identifying and quantifying the physical effects of debilitating central nervous diseases like multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s as early as possible.

In what ways could this research affect the average person?

My goal is to develop techniques that could lead to earlier diagnoses of these diseases. The earlier a disease is diagnosed, the earlier treatments can begin which could lead to better outcomes. Ultimately, I hope the work we are doing will lead to cures.

For you personally, why do you want to do this kind of research?

I enjoy applying basic physics principles to medical problems. I find it fascinating to peer inside a living body, watch it function and map its anatomy without harming it any way.

What is the most satisfying part of this research?

There are so many satisfying parts of my research that it is hard to choose. I always get excited the first time I see an image after months of designing and building hardware and software to make an object visible with MRI. Nothing compares with the satisfaction of detecting tiny differences in anatomy and function in an organ as complex as the human brain. It is also extremely gratifying to watch a student work, learn, study and then publish the results of his or her research project after many months or years on a research project.

What kind of student involvement do you have in this research?

Both undergraduate and graduate students are involved in my research. Some students use MRI to collect images. Other students create analysis tools for these images and analyze the images to detect differences due to disease. Some students write computer simulations to model brain and spinal cord tissue, and MRI to determine the optimal imaging techniques for certain disease. Some students even do all of these tasks.

What would you say to students who may be interested in this field of study?

As with any scientific research, it takes a lot of hard work and time, but it can be very rewarding. Work hard in school to learn basic scientific, math, logic, computer and English language skills so that you are prepared for the work ahead.