This workshop aims to elaborate a common vision for the future of the field and what is needed for its translation to everyday clinical practice. Key topics include the latest methodological developments in hardware and acquisitions, microstructure modelling, and the use of AI. A special attention is also given to novel developments of diffusion MRI outside the brain (prostate, fetal, placental, muscle, and breast, amongst others). The workshop will then focus on bridging the gap between research and clinic and establishing the translational path of the different themes, focusing on better links between experiments and modelling, consolidation of current approaches, and current and potential future integration into the clinical studies and practice.

The workshop will start with an optional educational "bootcamp" day designed for students and researchers new to the field of diffusion MRI. Here the lectures will be targeted and balanced for an audience with both basic science or technical backgrounds, as well as more applied or clinical backgrounds. Attendees will learn the basics of diffusion MRI, sequence design and contrast mechanisms, preprocessing, microstructure measurements and their validation, interpretation, and their clinical and research applications. Introductory lectures on anatomy and basic physiology will also be offered to better present the different areas of application of diffusion MRI. Sessions are divided into themes and each is followed by an expert led discussion spanning both Ph.D. and M.D. leaders in the field to provide both the scientific and clinical insights into the topics. The bootcamp will have an informal, intimate format to enable attendees to interact closely with lecturers, gain practical insights into working in the field of diffusion MRI, and prepare them for the formal workshop program following.

The formal workshop program will feature invited scientific presentations, proffered papers, poster sessions, and panel discussions. It has been carefully structured to be interdisciplinary and to bring together diffusion MRI researchers and clinicians, and it offers CME credits. The workshop is designed to be highly interactive, with regular scheduled breaks between sessions for informal discussions and poster presentations. There will be a balance of focused sessions led by leaders in the field and proffered scientific abstracts. Structured meals, receptions, and our highly popular "poster bars" for discussion and networking are integrated into the structure of the program.

Target Audience:

This workshop is designed for researchers (including Ph.D. students and postdocs); clinicians (e.g., neurologists, radiologists, neurosurgeons); MR technologists; government regulatory experts; nonprofit and academic groups interested in early diagnosis and public health; and members of the ISMRM Diffusion MRI and White Matter Study Groups.

The topics we propose are highly relevant for our attendees interested in continuing medical education. They will provide knowledge of new technical and methodological approaches in using diffusion MRI to diagnose and monitor a range of medical conditions, e.g. tissue injury, stroke, neurological conditions, prostate cancer, and cancer in general, etc. Furthermore, they will provide methods for utilizing this knowledge and resources needed for it.