MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (June 18, 2007) -- University of Minnesota Medical School professor Michael Garwood, Ph.D., received the 2007 Gold Medal Award at the Joint Annual Meeting of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) and the European Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine and Biology (ESMRMB).
Garwood is the associate director of the Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR) at the Medical School and a member of the Cancer Center's Breast Cancer Research Program. Internationally recognized for incorporating magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) technology, Garwood has advanced ways to non-invasively diagnose cancer and monitor response to cancer treatment therapies. His research identifies a more effective way to measure biochemical changes in tumors. This allows radiologists to more accurately distinguish between benign and malignant tumors, thus reducing the need for invasive, unneeded biopsies. Garwood is also distinguished for his contributions in advancing magnetic resonance (MR) technology through MR pulse design and frequency modulated radiofrequency (RF) pulses.
“I am so honored to get this award. For me, the ISMRM Gold Medal is second best only to the Nobel Prize,” said Garwood, the second Gold Medal winner from the University of Minnesota. During his acceptance speech in Berlin, Garwood thanked his colleague, Kamil Ugurbil, Ph.D., who won the Gold Medal in 1996. “It is truly wonderful for the University of Minnesota that we now have two Gold Medalists at our Center for Magnetic Resonance Research; it is a tribute to the outstanding work that is done there,” said Deborah E. Powell, M.D., dean of the Medical School. “Dr. Garwood richly deserves this award.”
A 1985 doctoral graduate of the University of California, Santa Cruz, Garwood received postdoctoral training at the University of California and at the University of Minnesota. He has published numerous articles on magnetic resonance imaging as it pertains to predicting chemotherapy effectiveness, monitoring the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, and improving the accuracy of cancer diagnosis, among other areas.
Contact: Mary Lawson, Academic Health Center, 612-624-6165
The International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine is the foremost international, nonprofit, professional association devoted to furthering the development and application of magnetic resonance techniques in medicine and biology. Composed of more than 5,000 multidisciplinary members from around the world, ISMRM works to promote communication, research, development, and applications in the field of magnetic resonance to develop and provide channels for the advancement of education in the field. Award members are nominated by their peers, who annually award one or two Gold Medals to scientists or clinicians who have significantly contributed to the field of biomedical magnetic resonance.
The Academic Health Center is home to the University of Minnesota’s six health professional schools and colleges as well as several health-related centers and institutes. Founded in 1851, the University is one of the oldest and largest land grant institutions in the country. The AHC prepares the new health professionals who improve the health of communities, discover and deliver new treatments and cures, and strengthen the health economy.