Curriculum

The duration of the M.S. Biomedical Imaging program is 24 months. Over the course of the program, students complete 28 credits of coursework and 33 credits of faculty-mentored thesis research. Courses are designed to be self-contained, including development of the necessary mathematical methods.

A hallmark of the program is its emphasis on hands-on research and individualized mentorship. By the end of the first spring semester, students select a faculty advisor and begin developing their master’s thesis project. Over the final 15 months of the program, students work closely with their research mentor to conduct original research, prepare a written thesis, and present their findings in an oral defense before a faculty committee.

This course introduces students to the physics of nuclear medicine, in theory and application. Students become familiar with the techniques that are used in current clinical practice and research through lectures as well as hands-on training using PET and SPECT scanners at the Citigroup Biomedical Imaging Center and Weill Cornell Imaging at New York Presbyterian Hospital.

Students will gain a working knowledge of imaging techniques used in nuclear medicine by developing the underlying physics and engineering principles related to the following topics:

1. Interaction of radiation with matter
2. Radioactive decay
3. Radiation detectors instrumentation and operation
4. Nuclear Counting Statistics
5. PET and SPECT instrumentation and imaging
6. PET and SPECT performance measurements

Course Director: Sadek Nehmeh, PhD

The use of optical and electron microscopy in medical research and clinical practice has undergone extensive growth in recent years. This course exposes students to a wide range of techniques, theoretical considerations, and applications, drawing on the two course directors' complementary expertise in biochemistry and pathology.

At the end of the course, students will have a good working knowledge of the following concepts:

Basic optical physics
Bioluminescence
Fluorescence
Two-photon microscopy
Confocal microscopy
Scanning electron microscopy
Transmission electron microscopy

Course Directors: Sushmita Mukherjee, PhD and Brian Robinson, MD

This course covers the physics, instrumentation and signal processing methods used in ionizing-based imaging modalities such as radiography, fluoroscopy, mammography, and X-ray computed tomography (CT). The primary focus will be on linear system theory, image quality metrology (e.g., signal-to- noise ratio), and quantitative methods for CT imaging. Instruction will consist of didactic lectures accompanied by hands-on programming exercises.

By the end of the course the students will develop a knowledge of the physics and engineering of X-ray imaging systems, including:

Instrumentation used to generate and detect X-rays
Fundamentals of image quality assessments, digital radiography, and fluoroscopy
Mammography and human perception of medical images
The physics of X-ray computed tomography

Course Director: Usman Mahmood, PhD.

This course will introduce students to human anatomy, establishing a conceptual framework and practical approach to understanding the relationships between anatomy, physiology, and imaging.

The lectures take a conventional systems-based approach tailored for STEM students without a medical background. Students will not be asked or required to spend time in the anatomy lab; rather, we will bring the benefits of gross anatomy to the classroom, by way of high-resolution, annotated 3D models of anatomy lab specimens that are currently being digitized as part of ongoing efforts with medical student and physician assistant gross anatomy coursework.

Course Director: Sumit Niogi, MD, PhD

This course develops the formal theory and principles of magnetic resonance image formation and signal contrast, with a focus on the radiofrequency and magnetic field gradient pulse sequences used to acquire data. The goal is to provide students with a working knowledge of the physics and engineering principles underlying magnetic resonance imaging, such that they will be equipped to develop new data acquisition and analysis techniques in MRI. Students will gain practical exposure to common MRI data acquisition and image reconstruction algorithms. In addition, we will study the application of MRI in clinical and research problems of interest.

Course Director: Ricardo Otazo, PhD
Instructor: Ouri Cohen, PhD

Machine learning techniques have had a huge impact on biomedical imaging over the past few years and account for a large fraction of new research. This course covers the fundamentals of machine learning and data analysis methods for analyzing medical images, focusing on radiological images, with a lesser emphasis on surgical and histopathological images. The course will:

Introduce students to applications of machine learning in biomedical imaging
Teach students state-of-the-art methods for data modeling using machine learning, including:
data reduction
image feature extraction
image segmentation
radiomics
deep learning
transport distance methods

Course Director: Joseph Deasy, PhD
Course Director: Harini Veeraraghavan, PhD
Instructor: Saad Nadeem, PhD

The course is designed to provide students with a knowledge of ultrasound physics and engineering principles, along with a working knowledge of the operation of ultrasound systems. We will cover:

sound wave propagation and ultrasound interactions with matter;
the factors affecting spatial and temporal resolution, including multiple focal zones; artifacts that affect image quality;
advanced technologies such as harmonic imaging, extended field of view, compound imaging, 3D/4D ultrasound and ultrasound contrast agents; and
mechanisms for producing ultrasound bioeffects and the significance of the parameters MI and TI

Course Director: Mark Burgess, PhD

This course introduces STEM students to the general principles, practices and terminology used in the healthcare environment, in particular those related to biomedical imaging and radiology.

Course Director: Sumit Niogi, MD, PhD

After students have been introduced to all imaging modalities in the first two semesters, this short series of self-contained lectures presents a range of special topics that are of current interest to investigators engaging in biomedical imaging research and to practicing medical physicists. This will expose students to a range of possible career paths in industry, academia and clinical service.

Course Director: Jonathan Dyke, PhD

Working under the supervision of an approved faculty member, students will pursue an independent master’s thesis project focusing on a problem in Biomedical Imaging. The project will continue through the summer and second year of training and culminate in a written thesis and oral defense of the project. Each student is strongly encouraged to undertake the process of submitting research results appropriate for publication to a peer-reviewed journal and/or national academic.

The objectives of this stage in the thesis project are to:

Identify an area of focus or interest for development of a project
Summarize previous work in the area of focus and identify a course of action for the project
Develop an experimental plan for addressing the research question