Random header banner 1 Random header banner 2 Random header banner 3 Random header banner 4

Christoph Birkl

Neuroimaging Research Unit
Department of Neurology
Medical University of Graz
Auenbruggerplatz 22, Room UG31
8036 Graz, Austria

Phone: +43 316 385-16438
Fax: +43 316 385-16808

email: christoph.birkl(at)medunigraz.at

www.mriphysics.at
I am currently funded by an Erwin Schrödinger Fellowship of the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) and working at the UBC MRI Research Centre, University of Birish Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.

Biographical Sketch

Dr. Birkl received his PhD (with distinction) in Biomedical Engineering from Graz University of Technology in 2015. The title of his dissertation was “Post-mortem Assessment of Iron in Multiple Sclerosis using Magnetic Resonance Imaging” (MRI) for which he received the Best PhD thesis Award of the brain research network Styria. Dr. Birkl gained expertise in the development of quantitative MRI techniques to measure iron and myelin in the brain, with a strong focus on application in neurological disorders. Furthermore, he focused on temperature and fixation effects in post-mortem MRI and initiated several post-mortem studies for validation of new quantitative MRI techniques. In this context he gained knowledge in performing superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometry measurements on biological tissue to determine their biophysical properties. Dr. Birkl closely collaborates with project partners on performing electron microscopy, mass spectroscopy and histological analysis on brain tissue subsequent to post-mortem MRI for his validation studies.

In 2017 Dr. Birkl received the Erwin Schroedinger Fellowship of the Austrian Science Fund for his project “Contribution of Myelin to the Diamagnetic Susceptibility”. The project is funded with 150.000 EUR for a duration of three years. Dr. Birkl joined the University of British Columbia MRI Research Centre for his Schroedinger Fellowship. After two the two year period abroad he will return to the Medical University of Graz to finalize the project. Beside research activities, Dr. Birkl was co-organizer of the 4th International Workshop on MRI Phase Contrast & Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping in September 2016. He is a member of several scientific societies and second vice president of the austrian scocienty for magnetic resonance imaging. During his bachelor and master at the Graz University of Technology he was a head of he Student Council and member of the Curricular Committee for Biomedical Engineering.

Education

2018-2019 Postdoctoral fellow at the UBC MRI Research Centre,
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
12/2015 -2018 Postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Neurology,
Medical University of Graz, Austria
12/2015 PhD in Biomedical Engineering, Graz University of Technology, Austria
04/2012 MSc in Biomedical Engineering, Graz University of Technology, Austria
10/2010 BSc in Biomedical Engineering, Graz University of Technology, Austria

Research Interest

Temperature dependence of MRI parameters

Quantitative susceptibility mapping

Postmortem MRI

SQUID magnetometry - magnetic properties of tissue

Awards

2018 Josef Krainer Price for promoting young scientists

2017 Erwin Schrödinger research fellowship

2016 Best Poster Award - 4rd International Workshop on MRI Phase Contrast & QSM

2015 Award of the Brain Research Network Styria for the best PhD thesis

2014 Best Poster Award - 4rd International Workshop on MRI Phase Contrast & QSM

Selected Publications

Birkl, C; Birkl-Toeglhofer, AM; Endmayr, V; Höftberger, R; Kasprian, G; Krebs, C; Haybaeck, J; Rauscher, A
The influence of brain iron on myelin water imaging.
Neuroimage. 2019; 199(6):545-552

Birkl, C; Langkammer, C; Sati, P; Enzinger, C; Fazekas, F; Ropele, S
Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping to Assess Cerebral Vascular Compliance.
AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2019;

Kor, D; Birkl, C; Ropele, S; Doucette, J; Xu, T; Wiggermann, V; Hernández-Torres, E; Hametner, S; Rauscher, A
The role of iron and myelin in orientation dependent R2* of white matter.
NMR Biomed. 2019; 32(7):e4092-e4092

Birkl, C; Carassiti, D; Hussain, F; Langkammer, C; Enzinger, C; Fazekas, F; Schmierer, K; Ropele, S
Assessment of ferritin content in multiple sclerosis brains using temperature-induced R*2 changes.
Magn Reson Med. 2017; 158(11):  [Fulltext] [Pubmed]

Birkl, C; Soellradl, M; Toeglhofer, AM; Krassnig, S; Leoni, M; Pirpamer, L; Vorauer, T; Krenn, H; Haybaeck, J; Fazekas, F; Ropele, S; Langkammer, C
Effects of concentration and vendor specific composition of formalin on postmortem MRI of the human brain.
Magn Reson Med. 2017;   [Fulltext] [Pubmed]

Budday, S; Sommer, G; Birkl, C; Langkammer, C; Haybaeck, J; Kohnert, J; Bauer, M; Paulsen, F; Steinmann, P; Kuhl, E; Holzapfel, GA
Mechanical characterization of human brain tissue.
Acta Biomater. 2017; 48:319-340  [Fulltext] [Pubmed]

Birkl, C; Langkammer, C; Golob-Schwarzl, N; Leoni, M; Haybaeck, J; Goessler, W; Fazekas, F; Ropele, S
Effects of formalin fixation and temperature on MR relaxation times in the human brain.
NMR Biomed. 2016; 29(4):458-465  [Fulltext] [Pubmed]

Birkl, C; Langkammer, C; Krenn, H; Goessler, W; Ernst, C; Haybaeck, J; Stollberger, R; Fazekas, F; Ropele, S
Iron mapping using the temperature dependency of the magnetic susceptibility.
Magn Reson Med. 2015; 73(3): 1282-1288.   [Fulltext] [Pubmed]

Birkl, C; Langkammer, C; Haybaeck, J; Ernst, C; Stollberger, R; Fazekas, F; Ropele, S
Temperature-induced changes of magnetic resonance relaxation times in the human brain: a postmortem study.
Magn Reson Med. 2014; 71(4):1575-1580  [Fulltext] [Pubmed]

Birkl, C; Langkammer, C; Haybaeck, J; Ernst, C; Stollberger, R; Fazekas, F; Ropele, S
Temperature Dependency of T1 Relaxation Time in Unfixed and Fixed Human Brain Tissue.
Biomed Tech (Berl). 2013; 17(5):  [Fulltext] [Pubmed]

 

Link to publications in Researchportal

Link to presentations in Researchportal