Project Summary: The objective of the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (SCMR) Mid-Year
Workshop is to provide a vital platform for scientists and clinicians to optimize the use of cardiovascular magnetic
resonance (CMR) in the treatment of heart failure (HF). As a versatile imaging test, CMR is a crucial diagnostic
and prognostic imaging tool applicable to over 6 million adults in the United States living with HF. Recent
advancements in CMR technology, such as T1/T2/extracellular volume fraction mapping, quantitative myocardial
blood flow imaging, 4D flow, cine derived cardiac strain, and late gadolinium-enhancement, have piqued the
interest of clinicians specializing in HF. These topics and educational objectives align closely with the mission of
the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) to provide global leadership in research, training, and
education for the prevention and treatment of heart and blood diseases. Scientific presentations will shed light
on new discoveries regarding the causes of HF, contributing to the translation of these findings into clinical
practice. Dedicated hands-on sessions (CMR data analysis, CMR live scanning) as well as case presentations
will provide attendees with knowledge on how to establish a clinical CMR service in the setting of HF. Additionally,
the proposed educational activities and participant discussions will foster the training and mentorship of early
career scientists and physicians. In this context, the workshop will facilitate collaborative research infrastructure,
engaging participants from academic institutions and industry. We plan to achieve these workshop objectives
through the following aims: (1) Bring together scientists, clinicians, technologists, clinical staff and industry from
varied backgrounds, including cardiology, radiology, physics, bioengineering, applied mathematics, computer
science, and biology to promote cross-fertilization of ideas on technical developments and clinical applications;
(2) provide an effective workshop format by integrating summary lectures from established, internationally
recognized investigators with hands-on sessions and oral and poster presentations on new research; (3) foster
collaborative relationships among researchers from multiple centers to work on multi-center clinical trials using
CMR; (4) challenge established expert centers to innovate time efficient comprehensive CMR protocols that can
be easily disseminated and provide examples of innovative practice highlighting translation of research into the
clinical arena; (5) educate young scientists, including students, postdocs, residents, fellows, and junior
investigators, as well as underrepresented minority (URM) investigators, on the fundamentals and state-of-the-
art in CMR technology. The primary goal of this application is to secure support to enable early career
investigators, with a specific focus on female investigators and URM from various backgrounds, to attend the
Mid-Year SCMR Workshop in 2024. The active involvement of students and early-career scientists and clinicians
and URM investigators has the potential to achieve key objectives crucial for the ongoing advancement of
medical imaging and cardiovascular medicine.