Contact

Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry - Oncology Dept

Email: dezanche@ualberta.ca
Phone: (780) 989-8155

Overview

Area of Study / Keywords

Electrical Engineering Image-guided Radiation Therapy Magnetic Resonance Imaging radio frequency RF coils

About

Awards:

Outstanding Teacher Award, International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, 2018-11-30

Professional Credentials

Board Certification (MCCPM, 2009): Member of the Canadian College of Physicists in Medicine (CCPM)
Professional Engineer (P.Eng., 2011): Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA)
Senior Member (SMIEEE, 2015): Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)

Leadership Roles

ISMRM Working Group on Best Practices for Safety Testing of Experimental RF Hardware (Founder and Chair: 2018-). See published guidelines below. https://www.ismrm.org/working-groups/best-practices-for-safety-testing-of-experimental-rf-hardware/

Research

Magnetic Resonance Instrumentation

My research program aims to improve magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology and enhance not only the imaging performance (e.g., signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), resolution, speed) but also safety and patient experience. The following are recent examples, with references to the Featured Publications below.

Advanced Receiver Coils and Arrays

Image SNR is directly related to the quality of the detectors (coils) used to acquire the MR signal. We have developed receive coil arrays for various applications including

MR-guided focused ultrasound (Proc. ISMRM 2022, p. 1087)
Linac-MR (3,4; Proc. ISMRM 2019, p. 1589)
High-field MR (6,7; Proc. ISMRM 2017, p. 4415)

We have also expanded the understanding of coil interactions in an array (14) and verified experimentally the benefits of "3D" coils (11).

RF Safety

The RF power deposited in the body during MRI scanning causes heating and is quantified by the specific absorption rate (SAR). Some aspects of RF safety are always included in RF coil design and construction. We have also explored specific RF safety projects, including developing an inexpensive, modular SAR monitor (Proc. ISMRM 2017, p. 2627) for site-built scanners to ensure SAR remains below the safety thresholds defined by national and international standards.

Application of Metamaterials in MRI

Metamaterials are artificial periodic structures engineered to exhibit values of electromagnetic permittivity and permeability that are not achievable with natural materials. In this ongoing collaborative effort, we have demonstrated the use of RF metamaterials to design body excitation coils (1,2). While performance is similar to that of the standard "birdcage" resonator, the metamaterial body coil also provides much better SAR performance and is suitable for use at the higher frequencies of high-field MRI.

Teaching

ONCOL 556 (Laboratory in Imaging): instructor

ONCOL 560 (Technology in Radiation Oncology): course coordinator and instructor

ONCOL 690 (Biomedical Magnetic Resonance Methods and Applications): course coordinator and instructor

ONCOL 691 (Advanced Magnetic Resonance Physics): instructor

Course details

Courses

ONCOL 560 - Technology in Radiation Oncology

Explore the use of technology and physics principles in the diagnosis, tumour and normal tissue delineation, treatment planning, treatment delivery, and treatment verification as applied to cancer patients. Consent of Department required.

Fall Term 2025

ONCOL 690 - Biomedical Magnetic Resonance Methods and Applications

Advanced course on modern magnetic resonance techniques including in-depth description of hardware; advanced imaging sequences and image reconstruction methods; methodologies for in-vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Prerequisite: BME 564 and consent of Instructor.

Winter Term 2026

ONCOL 691 - Advanced Magnetic Resonance Physics

Guided lecture course with preparation and delivery of teaching lectures on a current topic of Magnetic Resonance research in conjunction with ONCOL 692 and 693 presentations. Prerequisite: ONCOL 690 and consent of Instructor.

Winter Term 2026

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