Dr. Xia Yang from Oakland University Visited WIPM

On July 11th ,2013, Prof. Xia Yang from Oakland University, invited by Prof. Zhou Xin visited WIPM and took a report of 'Microscopic MRI (UMRI) and its Applications in Physics, Engineering, and Biomedicine'. Professors and a lot of students from WIPM took part in the report actively.

    At first, Prof. Xia used pop language to introduce the principle of microscopic MRI (UMRI) .Through a lot of interesting microscopic MR images of the cucumber, the pea and the spider , he brought us to the microscopic world. Simultaneously, compared to optical images, he said some structures or tissues which can't been seen in the optical image have been found. Afterwards, he detailedly told us the study in osteoarthritis and articular cartilage degradation, including the early stages of cartilage degradation markers, adjustment of articular cartilage under load, the clinical diagnosis of osteoarthritis with physical and biological physics method. Articular cartilage is a special dense connective tissue called collagen fibers with smooth surface, which plays an important role in the joint activity that can reduce the friction between two adjacent bones and buffer vibration generated by movement. In the report, Professor Xia also introduced the use of multidisciplinary microscopic image techniques (uMRI, PLM, TEM, FTIRI, Micro-CT) and the biochemical and biomechanical testing ways to explore the structure of collagen fibers ,which provided good pre-clinical studies for the diagnosis and treatment of disease about cartilage.

    Prof.xia have been engaged in physics research since 1986 to 1992 at Massey University in New Zealand and obtained PhD. His adviser was Sir Paul T. Callaghan who is the famous physicist of New Zealand and laureate of international ampere. From 1992 to 1994 , he has done his postdoctoral research in Biotechnology Center of Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. Since 1994, he has been a professor of physics in department of physics of Oakland university and now a tenured professor.