PhD Defence Merel Boers

image analysis in acute ischemic stroke: infarct volume and collateral circulation 

Merel Boers is a PhD Student in the research group Robotics and Mechatronics. Her supervisors are professor Kees Slump from the faculty of Electrical Engineering Mathematics and Computer Science and professor Charles Majoie from the Academic Medical Center Amsterdam. 

Decision-making in acute ischemic stroke is complex. Imaging characteristics of the ischemic brain and the neurovasculature provide critical information for therapeutic decisions as they have shown to be associated with treatment-related risks and benefits and patient outcome. However, to be useful in daily clinical practice, imaging parameters must be measured rapidly and in a reproducible manner. The aim of this thesis was to introduce and evaluate automated image processing methods to accurately assess radiological images of acute stroke patients, with the ultimate goal to improve decision-making in acute ischemic stroke.