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Dr Kerstin Pannek

Senior Research Scientist

https://people.csiro.au/P/K/Kerstin-Pannek

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Biography

Kerstin is a Research Scientist at the Australian E-Health Research Centre, CSIRO. She is an internationally recognised expert in Brain MRI, specifically in Diffusion MRI and its application in the newborn and paediatric brain to study normal and abnormal brain development for early diagnosis and prognosis of adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. She has more than 10 years’ experience in brain diffusion MRI and tractography analysis across all age groups including neonatal and paediatric populations, as well as using in vivo piglet and lamb brain MRI and ex vivo mouse/rat brain MRI.

Kerstin's work focusses on the development of methods to improve image quality, harmonise imaging data acquired in multi-site trials, and new image contrasts, and the application of state of the art image analyses. Kerstin is involved in NHMRC-funded research projects exploring the ability to predict neurodevelopmental outcomes of very preterm infants using early MRI (at 30-32 weeks postmenstrual age); determining neuroplasticity in response to early intervention for infants at high risk of cerebral palsy, and in older children diagnosed with cerebral palsy.

Kerstin holds an MSc in Physics from the University of Würzburg in Germany, and a PhD in Neuroimaging from the University of Queensland. She has completed postdoctoral training in biomedical image analysis at Imperial College London and at CSIRO. She has 51 publications with >750 citations and a h-index of 16.

Current Roles

  • Researcher
    MRI of brain development and neuroplasticity

  • Project Leader
    Neonatal and pediatric brain imaging projects

Academic Qualifications

  • 2014

    PhD
    The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia

  • 2005

    MSc
    Bayerische Julius-Maximilians-Universität, Würzburg, Germany

Professional Experiences

  • 2017-date

    Research Scientist
    CSIRO, Australian E-Health Research Centre

  • 2015-2016

    Postdoctoral Fellow, Biomedical Informatics Group
    CSIRO, Australian E-Health Research Centre

  • 2014-2015

    Postdoctoral Fellow, Biomedical Image Analysis Group
    Imperial College London, Department of Computing

  • 2013-2013

    Research Officer, Biomedical Informatics Group
    CSIRO, Australian E-Health Research Centre

  • 2011-2012

    Research Assistant
    The University of Queensland, Queensland Cerebral Palsy and Rehabilitation Research Centre

  • 2007-2011

    Research Assistant
    The University of Queensland, Centre for Magnetic Resonance/Centre for Advanced Imaging

Achievements and Awards

  • 2017-2017

    2nd place Postdoc poster competition
    Diffusion Study Group of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine

  • 2013-2013

    Merit award "magna cum laude"
    International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine

  • 2012-2012

    Best Postgraduate Student Oral Presentation
    Australasian Cognitive Neuroscience Society

  • 2012-2012

    3-minute-thesis competition (winner - School of Medicine; finalist - Faculty of Health Sciences)
    The University of Queensland

  • 2012-2012

    UQCCR Shimadzu New Investigator Development Prize
    The University of Queensland, Centre for Clinical Research

  • 2011-2014

    International Postgraduate Research Scholarship
    The University of Queensland

  • 2011-2014

    UQ Centennial Scholarship
    The University of Queensland

  • 2010-2010

    Sir Ian McFarlane Medal for Best Overall Research
    Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital

  • 2010-2010

    Best Clincal Science Oral Presentation
    Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital

Grants

  • 2018-2022

    NHMRC: "Early diagnosis and early intervention for infants with cerebral palsy: implementation of international evidence- based guidelines into practice"

  • 2018-2021

    NHMRC: "HABIT-ILE: A randomised trial of Hand Arm Bimanual Intensive Training Including Lower Extremity training for children with bilateral cerebral palsy"

  • 2017-2021

    NHMRC: "Harnessing Neuroplasticity to Improve Motor Performance in Infants with Cerebral Palsy: a Pragmatic Randomised Controlled Trial (GAME)"

  • 2015-2019

    NHMRC: "REACH: Randomised trial of EArly rehabilitation in Congenital Hemiplegia"

  • 2015-2019

    NHMRC: "Neurodevelopment of the preterm infant"

Community and Corporate Citizenship

  • 2010-2019

    Member of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine

  • 2017-2019

    26 peer reviews for 9 journals

Publications

We have publications by Dr Kerstin Pannek