Linda Knutsson, MSC, PhD
Highlights
Languages
- English
Gender
FemaleJohns Hopkins Affiliations:
- Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Faculty
About Linda Knutsson
Primary Academic Title
Professor (PAR) of Neurology
Background
Dr. Knutsson graduated with a master's degree in physics and continued to obtain a doctoral degree in medical physics at Lund University, Sweden. Her thesis focused on optimization and validation of dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI perfusion measurements.
At Lund University, she was promoted to associate professor in 2010 and professor in 2018. She was previously the research group leader of the MR-physics group in Lund. In 2021 she joined the Kennedy Krieger Institute staff. For her research contributions, she received the Kurt Lidén’s Award - 2015, from the Swedish Society of Radiation Physics. In 2024, she was awarded Fellow of the Society by the European Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine and Biology (ESMRMB) for her important contributions to the development of methods for human perfusion measurement,
Dr. Knutsson has served on many ISMRM committees, including the Annual Meeting Program Committee (AMPC) and the Board of Trustees. She has also been the Chair of the ISMRM perfusion study group. In 2011, she founded the ISMRM Nordic Chapter and has been its president. Dr. Knutsson resides on the editorial boards of the following journals: Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, NMR in Biomedicine, and Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and Medicine.
Research Interests
Cancer imaging, Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST), Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), Neurodegeneration, Perfusion
Research Summary
Dr. Knutsson’s research is mainly focused on perfusion (microvascular blood flow) and perfusion-related measurements using MRI. Main target parameters are, cerebral blood flow, cerebral blood volume, mean transit time, permeability and oxygen extraction fraction. Assessment of these parameters is important in the clinic, for example for studies of neurodegenerative diseases, depression, stroke and brain tumors.
Relevant methods that Dr. Knutsson is working with are arterial spin labeling (ASL), dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) MRI, and dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) MRI. Dr. Knutsson’s research also includes an emerging technique called chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI to retrieve perfusion and perfusion related parameters using natural sugar.
Her goal is to provide clinicians with methods that allow perfusion estimates. This is done by implementation and optimization of pulse sequences, mathematical post-processing of acquired data, and appropriate validation of proposed techniques.
Honors
- Fellow of the Society, European Society ifor Magnetic Resonance in Medicine and Biology (ESMRMB) for important contributions to the development of methods for human perfusion measurement, 10/05/24
- Kurt Lidén’s Award from the Swedish Society of Radiation Physics for meritorious contributions to the development and applications of radiation physics, 11/01/2015
Graduate Program Affiliations
Dr. Knutsson is the course director for the graduate course "Medical Imaging Systems" and faculty committee member of the Medical Physics Master’s Program
Memberships
- International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM)
- European Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine and Biology (ESMRMB)
Professional Activities
- Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, Editorial Board
- MAGMA, Editorial Board
- NMR in Biomedicine, Editorial Board
- Frontiers in Neuroscience, Brain Imaging Methods, Associate Editor
- Frontiers in Neuroimaging, Brain Imaging Methods, Associate Editor
- Frontiers in Neurology, Artificial Intelligence in Neurology, Associate Editor