January 2024 - BME Blaze: Carlotta Ianniello

In this monthly spotlight, get to know the alumni and students of Columbia's Department of Biomedical Engineering. Read what our BME folks are up to, from our labs' latest research, to our students' plans for the future, to our teams' innovations, start-ups, and other career successes. We enjoyed catching up with Columbia BME Postdoctoral Associate, Carlotta Ianniello as she discussed her experience in Columbia BME. Read below to get to know Carlotta!

Degree(s), Major(s), Class Year(s), Institution(s): 

BS, Biomedical Engineering, 2008, Università degli Studi di Napoli “Federico II”, Naples, Italy

MS, Biomedical Engineering, 2012, Università degli Studi di Napoli “Federico II”, Naples, Italy

PhD, Biomedical Imaging, 2021, New York University, Vilcek Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, New York, NY

Where are you from?

Caserta, Italy

What drew you to the field of Biomedical Engineering?

Ever since high school I’ve always enjoyed biology, physics and math. So when it came to choosing a college major, I knew that I was going to pick something that somehow tied up all of these things. In a way BME was the obvious choice! 

For a period of time I had actually considered going to medical school, but then I realized that it wasn’t a career that I wanted to pursue. I think that what drew me to this field is the prospect of contributing to improving healthcare and making a meaningful impact on people’s lives.

What is your current role?

I am a postdoc in Dr. Juchem lab (MR Science Lab) at Columbia. The aim of my research is the development of hardware technology for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) aimed at overcoming B0 field inhomogeneities in specific areas of the brain that result in imaging artifacts. Specifically, I have been working on the design and optimization of an hybrid system constituted by a multi-coil (MC) B0 shimming array to improve spatial B0 homogeneity combined with a radio frequency (RF) array for optimal signal detection.

Why did you choose Columbia BME?

After getting my PhD from NYU I started looking out for possible job opportunities in the Biomedical Imaging, specifically MRI, field. What made me choose Columbia BME was simply my interest in the project that Dr. Juchem proposed to me. I was happy to bring some of my experience with building RF coils to the lab and in exchange learn more about B0 shimming system, which is something that I hadn’t been particularly exposed to before. 
 

What were some of your favorite projects/memories from the program?

Definitely all the conferences and social events with the rest of the lab members! Many fun memories are from car riding to the GRC conference in Handover, NH, attending the ISMRM annual conference in London in 2022 and Toronto in 2023. Looking forward to the next one in Singapore!
 

How has your experience with Columbia BME contributed towards your goals?

My experience at Columbia BME has not only nurtured my independence as a scientist but has also instilled a passion for mentorship and collaboration.
 

Any words of wisdom or tips for prospective BME students?

One thing that I have to constantly remind myself is that it’s ok to ask questions. Ask questions to your peers, lab members, professors and engage in conversations about your research. Oftentimes we get fixated on small details and forget about the big picture. I found that it’s extremely helpful to talk things through, especially with people that come from different backgrounds which might see your problem from a different angle. 
 

What are you excited about?

I’m excited to see the MRI technology that me and my co-workers developed being used in in-vivo research studies by other members of the lab!

Photo Credit:

1. Lab work, here I’m tuning an RF coil
2. Lobster dinner at the 2022 GRC In Vivo Magnetic Resonance conference
3. Lab members at the 2023 INSPECTOR workshop
4. Lab photo at the 2023 ISMRM conference in Toronto 
5. Presenting my poster at the 2022 GRC In Vivo Magnetic Resonance conference