Ross Mair, PhD

Professional Information

Experience: 

Instructor in Radiology, Harvard Medical School
Assistant in Biomedical Engineering, Massachusetts General Hospital
Head of MR Physics - Center for Brain Science, Harvard University

Education: 

PhD Physical Chemistry, Swinburne University of Technology, Australia, 1996
BAppSci Applied Chemistry, Swinburne University of Technology, Australia, 1990

Position: 
Martinos Faculty

Contact

Mailing Address

Harvard University - Center for Brain Science
52 Oxford St, Room 231.10
Cambridge, MA 02138 USA

General Contact Information

rmair@mgh.harvard.edu
Phone: 
617-496-2903

Biosketch

I currently serve as the Head of MR Physics at the Center for Brain Science Neuroimaging facility. My primary investigation focuses on optimizing rapid MRI techniques; specifically, I have led efforts to reduce standard structural (T1w) imaging protocols from six minutes down to just one or two minutes. In collaboration with method developers from Siemens Healthineers and HMS faculty who study neurodegeneration, I have validated these accelerated approaches in both healthy subjects and Alzheimers disease patient cohorts. Beyond my own methods development, I lead the neuroimaging components of major multi-site studies, including the Psychiatric Biomarkers Network, and I have provided technical oversight for the Human Connectome Projects in Development and Aging, as well as the Aging Adult Brain Connectome project.

In addition to my research, I am responsible for the daily operation, maintenance, and performance of the Center's 3T MRI scanner, having played a key role in its 2015 upgrade to the Prisma platform. I devote a significant amount of my time to the mentorship and training of the next generation of scientists, guiding postdocs and graduate students on MRI protocol choices and image quality troubleshooting. My teaching contributions extend from informal training sessions to formal lectures for Harvard undergraduates in courses such as Neurophysiology and Neural Interfaces and Medical Imaging. I bridge the gap between complex MR physics and practical psychological research by ensuring new image acceleration methods are optimized and ready for faculty use.