Dear Colleagues,
On behalf of the Neuroimaging Platform (NIMA) of the Institute of Neuroscience (IoNS) we share their program of the Symposium and Workshop on Magnetic Resonance
Spectroscopy (¹H-MRS). It will take place on April 27–28, 2026 at the Woluwe-Saint-Lambert campus of the Université catholique de Louvain.
This two-day event, , will bring together international experts from leading institutions, including Yale and Oxford University, King’s College London and Johns Hopkins Medicine, to discuss recent methodological advances, neurobiological insights, and clinical applications of ¹H-MRS.
This symposium aims to provide practical expertise for researchers, clinicians, and students interested in magnetic resonance spectroscopy. We hope to attract both novices and experts in the field of ¹H-MRS. The program features invited lectures from internationally recognized specialists, as well as hands-on sessions dedicated to data acquisition and analysis. Together, these activities will provide participants with a comprehensive overview of the field, spanning fundamental MR physics, methodological developments, and translational neuroscience applications.
Participation in the symposium and workshop is free of charge, but registration is mandatory using the
following link: https://forms.gle/hcMgpkSR9QcnuUDZ6 We look forward to welcoming you in Brussels for what promises to be an engaging and stimulating scientific meeting.
With kind regards,
On behalf of the organizing committee
Program Highlights
Day 1 (April 27) – MRS Methods & Brain Excitation/Inhibition Balance: Principles of MRI Physics and ¹H-MRS, Advanced pulse sequences (PRESS to semi-LASER), In vivo assessment of GABA in neurodevelopment
- MORNING SESSION
- 8:00 – 8:50 Registration and coffee
- 8:50 – 09:00 Introduction and welcome (director IoNS)
- Methods in 1H-MRS
- 09:00-09:30: Principles of MRI Physics (Lars Hanson, Copenhagen)
- 09:30-10:00: 1H-MRS: principles (Fahmeed Hyder, Yale University)
- 10:00-10:30: Pulse sequences for 1H-MRS: from PRESS to semi-LASER (Ralph Noeske, GEHC)
- 10:30-11:00: Coffee Break
- Brain Excitaton – Inhibiton balance
- 11:00-11:30: Role of GABA in the mammalian brain (Douglas Rothman, Yale University)
- 11:30-12:00: MEGA-PRESS and in vivo assessment of GABA in the human brain (Nicolaas
- Puts, Kings College, London)
- 12:00-12:30: H-MRS in neurodevelopment (Nicolaas Puts, Kings College, London)
- 12:30-13:00: General Discussion
- 13:00-14:00: Lunch
- AFTERNOON SESSION
- 14:00-17:00: 1H-MRS data acquisition field trip
Day 2 (April 28) – Inflammation, Neurodegeneration & Clinical Applications: Neuroinflammation in neurological and psychiatric diseases, Diffusion of brain metabolites and cellular morphology, Quantification and analysis software for ¹H-MRS, Diagnostic applications in clinical practice- MORNING SESSION
- 8:30 – 9:00 Registration and coffee
- Brain Inflammation and Neurodegeneration
- 09:00-09:30: Neurobiology of brain inflamma7on Role of inflamma7on in neurological diseases (Pietro Maggi, UCLouvain)
- 09:30-10:00: Role of inflammation in psychiatric diseases (Philippe de Timary, UCLouvain)
- 10:00-10:30: Diffusion of Brain Metabolites: A Window into Cellular Morphology and Metabolism in Health and Disease (Itamar Ronen, Sussex University)
- 10:30-11:00: Coffee Break
- Processing and clinical applications of H-MRS
- 11:00-11:30: Quantification and analysis software for 1H-MRS – Part1 (Richard Edden, John Hopkins Medicine)
- 11:30-12:00: Quantification and analysis software for 1H-MRS – Part2 (William Clarke, Oxford, UK)
- 12:00-12:30 Diagnostic 1H-MRS in the clinic: What are meaningful applications? (Uwe Himmelreich, Gasthuisberg, KUL)
- 12:30-13:00: General Discussion
- 13:00-14:00: Lunch
- AFTERNOON SESSION
- 14:00-17:00: 1H-MRS data analysis