L. Tugan Muftuler, PhD

Professor

Locations

Neurosurgery
8701 Watertown Plank Rd.
Milwaukee, WI 53226

Education

Postdoctoral Fellow, Radiological Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA, 1997-1998
PhD, Electrical Electronics Engineering, Technical University, Ankara, Turkey, 1996
MSc, Electrical Electronics Engineering, Orta Dogu Technical University, Ankara, Turkey, 1990
BSc, Electrical Electronics Engineering (Specialized on RF and Microwave eng.), Orta Dogu Technical University, Ankara, Turkey, 1987

Biography

Dr. Muftuler’s primary research interest is to develop novel MRI acquisition, processing and analysis techniques to detect pathophysiological changes caused by various diseases. The technologies that are established in Dr. Muftuler’s lab have been used in neuroimaging, musculoskeletal imaging and cancer imaging studies.

Our objective is to establish a strong research program in MRI technology and build productive collaborations with researchers from diverse backgrounds, which is essential to address increasingly complex clinical problems.

Honors and Awards

03/1989 – 06/1989 UNESCO Fellowship for graduate research in MRI (competitive), Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
08/1992 – 10/1996 Scholarships , Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey
03/1997 – 09/1997 NATO B-1 Fellowship for post-doctoral research in the USA, Awarded by NATO, selected by Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey (competitive)
2006 – First place award in Engineering Category (competitive): “Head RF Coil Design with Surface Current Density Optimization for SENSE Imaging”, International Society in Magnetic Resonance in Medicine
05/13/2014 – First place award in musculoskeletal MRI research (competitive), International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine
2015/2016 – Changes in perfusion and duffusion in the endplate regions of degenerating intervertebral discs: a DCE-MRI study (Eur Spine J (2015) 24:2458-2467) has been selected as the best basic science paper in the European Spine Journal in the past year for the GRAMMER European Spine Journal Award 2015/2016.

                
                    Research Areas of Interest
                
                    Algorithms
Brain
Brain Concussion
Brain Mapping
Computer Simulation
Diagnostic Imaging
Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Diffusion Tensor Imaging
Electric Conductivity
Electric Impedance
Electromagnetic Fields
Fourier Analysis

                    Research Experience
                
                    Diagnostic Imaging
Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Diffusion Tensor Imaging
Echo-Planar Imaging
Electric Conductivity
Electric Impedance
Electromagnetic Fields
Fourier Analysis
Image Enhancement
Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
Intervertebral Disc

                    Methodologies and Techniques
                
                    Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
Machine Learning
Supervised Machine Learning

                    Leadership Positions
                
                    Director of MR engineering and MREIT division, University of California, Irvine
Faculty IT committee chair. July 2025 - present, MCW

                    Educational Expertise
                
                    Electronics
Electronics, Medical
Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Research Interests

Primary research areas

Fast imaging techniques using non-Cartesian sampling methods
Quantitative MRI to study intervertebral disc degeneration
Advanced diffusion MRI techniques applied to concussion and aging studies

Current research

Neuroimaging
Quantitative MRI of the spine
Pulse sequence and RF coil developments
MR based Electrical Impedance Tomography