01
Ultra-high-field and mesoscopic MRI
I use 7T MRI to image the human brain at the mesoscopic scale and have acquired in-vivo images with isotropic resolution down to 140 µm.
MRI method development · Berlin
Hendrik Mattern
Head of Working Group 8.14 · Ultrahigh Field MRI · PTB Berlin
I develop MRI methods to image the brain at the mesoscopic scale and to quantify neurofluids—from small vessels and perivascular spaces to their relationships with anatomy, aging, and disease.
01 · Research
Research
My research themes are closely connected: high spatial resolution reveals small structures, motion correction preserves that detail, and quantitative tools turn vessel and neurofluid images into measures of physiology and pathology.
02
Motion correction
High-resolution imaging succeeds only when small head movements can be measured and corrected with comparable precision.
03
Neurofluid imaging
MRI offers a non-invasive view of arteries, veins, perivascular spaces, and other fluid-filled compartments. I study their structure and function, and their links to aging, vascular health, and neurological disease.
04
Vessel distance mapping
Vessel distance mapping connects segmented vascular networks with the surrounding anatomy. The framework supports quantitative analysis of vessel patterns in MRI and has also been applied to microscopy data.
02 · Funding
Funding
Details of my current and completed DFG-funded research projects are available in the GEPRIS research information system.
03 · Collaboration
Collaboration
Research across borders is central to MRI method development, bringing together physics, engineering, neuroscience, and clinical research. The map shows where my coauthors are based around the world.
04 · Teaching
Teaching
I have taught at Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg since 2018.
Physics I & II
Since the 2025 summer semester, I have been responsible for the Physics I & II module in the bachelor's program Engineering Science.
Methods of Magnetic Resonance Imaging
From 2019 to 2025, I tutored this course in the winter semesters.
Physics for Engineers
From 2018 to 2025, I led physics exercises in winter and supervised laboratory experiments in summer.
05 · Contact
I am an engineer by training and have led the Ultrahigh Field MRI working group (8.14) at PTB Berlin since September 2026. I am also an associated researcher and principal investigator at Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, where I was Junior Professor for High-Field MR Methods in Neuroimaging from March 2025 through August 2026. My work connects MRI physics and quantitative image analysis with questions in neuroscience and neurology.
I am always open to research collaborations and to supervising students on MRI sequence development, image reconstruction, vascular image analysis, and motion correction. Please feel free to reach out.