Dr. John Schenck receives International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine's 2009 Gold Medal Award
NISKAYUNA, NY, April 24, 2009 --- GE Global Research, the technology development arm of the General Electric Company (NYSE:GE) and a pioneer in the field of magnetic resonance imaging, announced that Dr. John Schenck, who is a principal scientist in the MRI Lab, received the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine's (ISMRM) Gold Medal award. This award is the ISMRM's highest individual honor, recognizing individuals who have made major research contributions in magnetic resonance imaging.
The presentation of the ISMRM's Gold Medal Award was made during the organization's annual meeting, which is being held this week in Honolulu, Hawaii. ISMRM is an international, nonprofit, scientific association, comprised of more than 6,000 clinicians, physicists, engineers, biochemists, and technologists in MRI and related fields.
Dr. Schenck was a member of the original research team that enabled GE to introduce the first clinically viable high field MRI scanner in the early 1980s. He served as a principal leader on the research team that achieved the first whole body imaging at 1.5 tesla in 1982. This achievement was instrumental in making possible the introduction of GE's breakthrough scanner.
Roberta A. Kravitz, Executive Director, International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM), said, "Dr. Schenck exemplifies all of the attributes we look for in a Gold Medal recipient and so much more. His research contributions have had a tremendous impact in advancing the state-of-the-art in MRI technology. But even beyond pushing the limits of technology, his many published works on MRI safety have served as a guide to the entire industry in how it is regulated and managed."
"Dr. John Schenck was a key part of the team at GE that helped put magnetic resonance imaging on the map back in the early 1980s," said Mark Little, Senior Vice President and Director of GE Global Research. "MRI is having such a positive impact in healthcare today because of research pioneers like John who helped bring it to market and made important advancements along the way. We're all very proud to see John recognized among so many of his peers with ISMRM's most prestigious award."
Schenck noted "it has been a wonderful opportunity to work with the people and the resources available at GRC on a technical opportunity as full of technical challenges and medical significance as MRI. All of us are continually aware of the major impact MRI has made on medical practice and healthcare in general and how fortunate we have been to be able to work in this area."
Dr. Schenck first joined GE as a research scientist in 1965. In 1978, he became the first full-time GE researcher to work in MRI technologies. Over the years, he has made many important research contributions in MRI and emerged as a leader in the industry who is often called upon for his viewpoints.
Major highlights include:
- Major inventions in the areas of radiofrequency and gradient coils required in MRI. This included leading a team at Global Research that produced the first clinically practical whole-body RF coil operating at 3 tesla.
- Conducting extensive studies into the use of high field MRI to investigate brain iron abnormalities in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. His studies have provide critical insights on how MRI can help in promoting earlier detection of these debilitating diseases. Today, he is co-directing a joint Albany Medical College/GE MR research center devoted to high field MR research on neurodegenerative diseases.
- Writing extensively on issues of MR safety, including the role of magnetic susceptibility in MRI and the development of interventional MRI. His papers have frequently been cited by the FDA in their guidelines for MR safety and compatibility.
- Serving as a reviewer for many MRI journals. He received the SS Greenfield Award of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) for best paper published in the Association publication, Medical Physics, in 1993.
Dr. Schenck has received many prestigious honors during his career. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and holds a Coolidge Fellowship, which is highest individual award for technical excellence at GE Global Research.
Dr. Schenck received a PhD in Solid State Physics from RPI in 1965 and an MD degree from Albany Medical College in 1978. In addition to his career as a research scientist at GE, he served as an Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering at Syracuse University in the early 1970s. In addition to his technical work, he treated thousands of patients as an emergency room physician at Ellis Hospital in Schenectady during the 1980s and 1990s.
About GE Global Research
GE Global Research is one of the world's most diversified industrial research labs, providing innovative technology for all of GE's businesses. Global Research has been the cornerstone of GE technology for more than 100 years, developing breakthrough innovations in areas such as medical imaging, energy generation technology, jet engines and lighting. GE Global Research is headquartered in Niskayuna, New York and has facilities in Bangalore, India, Shanghai, China and Munich, Germany. Visit GE Global Research at www.ge.com/research.
Todd Alhart
GE
[email protected]
1-518-387-7914