ISMRM Iberian Chapter

­ ✉️ ## Letter from the Iberian Chapter Committee

Dear Iberian MR Researchers,

We are delighted to share a few exciting updates from the Iberian Chapter of the ISMRM.

We are also pleased to welcome two new members to our Chapter’s Executive Committee. Please join me in congratulating Beatriz Vale, our new Student Representative, and Dr. Elisa Moya-Sáez, our new Postdoctoral Representative. Their enthusiasm, fresh perspectives, and commitment to strengthening our community are already making an impact, and we are delighted to welcome them to the team. They will play an important role in shaping our upcoming annual meeting and in developing new initiatives that support and engage early-career researchers.

We would also like to remind you that in December, we will be holding elections for the new Iberian Chapter Executive Committee. The positions of Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, and Communication Officer will be up for renewal. And, as every year, we will also be electing new postdoctoral and student representatives.

Thank you for your continued support and engagement with the Chapter. It was a pleasure to see so many of you in Coimbra. We look forward to continuing to work together to advance MR research across the Iberian Peninsula.

With best regards,

Silvia De Santis and Andrada Ianus On behalf of the ISMRM Iberian Chapter Committee

­ ✉️ ## Letter from the Iberian Chapter Meeting Host, Joana Carvalho

Our 6th Annual Meeting was held at the beginning of July 2026 in Coimbra, Portugal. The conference took place at the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences of the University of Coimbra (https://www.uc.pt/ismrm-iberian-2026/), an institution dedicated to excellence in research, education, and societal impact. Set within a city celebrated for its rich academic tradition and dynamic scientific community, the venue provides an inspiring setting for scientific exchange, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the development of new ideas.

For centuries, Coimbra has been a renowned centre of learning, culture, and innovation. Home to one of Europe’s oldest universities and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the city has long served as a gathering place for scholars, scientists, and visionaries from around the world.

Once again, our annual meeting brought together researchers, clinicians, engineers, physicists, and industry partners united by a shared commitment to advancing magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy in the pursuit of a deeper understanding of biology, health, and disease.

The scientific programme reflected the diversity and dynamism of our field, bringing together methodological innovations, preclinical investigations, and clinical applications. We hope it inspired stimulating discussions, encouraged new partnerships, and created opportunities for the exchange of ideas that will continue to drive progress well beyond the meeting itself.

Beyond the scientific programme, the meeting provided a valuable opportunity to strengthen existing collaborations and establish new ones. Participants were encouraged to connect with colleagues during coffee breaks, poster sessions, and social events, making the most of the open and collaborative spirit that has long been a defining feature of the ISMRM Iberian Chapter. These interactions fostered the exchange of ideas, the development of new partnerships, and the continued growth of our scientific community.

Thank you to everyone who attended the workshop and helped make this Chapter meeting such a rich and engaging event, including all the moderators, speakers, presenters, sponsors, and participants. This is a wonderful community with a unique collaborative spirit, and it was a pleasure to see so many of you in Coimbra!

Joana Carvalho

Chair of the 6th Annual Meeting of the ISMRM Iberian Chapter ­

Past Events

**Iberian Labs

The 4th edition of the MRI Iberian Labs, celebrated on the 5th of February 2026, brought together an impressive lineup of 10 speakers from leading research institutions across Spain and Portugal. The event showcased the diversity of MRI research within the community. Once again, the meeting provided an excellent opportunity to exchange ideas, foster collaborations, and strengthen connections between MRI laboratories. Thank you to all the speakers and attendees. Stay tuned for the next MRI Iberian Labs!

Verónica Aramendia

Postdoctoral Representative

** Recap Iberians at ISMRM Cape Town

The Iberians were at this year’s ISMRM Annual Meeting, held from the 9th to the 14th of May in Cape Town, South Africa. This marks the first time ever that the conference was hosted on the African continent!

Throughout the week, participants had the chance to learn about MR-related research being carried out all over the world. Between the plenary talks and the networking sessions, it was an intense but rewarding week. In the spirit of the meeting’s Ubuntu theme (“I am because we are”), there was a special focus on MRI in low-resource settings around the world, with a strong presence of the CAMERA (Consortium for Advancement of MRI Education and Research in Africa) initiative. A highlight was the first-ever hands-on workshop promoted by CAMERA, delivered through the IMAGINE project! Another novelty was the Study Group Day on Sunday, which was a great opportunity to get to know the different study groups without a rush and align on what to prioritise during the week.

Several Spanish and Portuguese researchers shared their work through posters, oral presentations, and power pitches, and the ISMRM Iberian Chapter highlighted their contributions throughout the conference. Around 20 Iberian abstracts were featured on the Chapter’s social media. The Iberian Chapter also presented its poster during the Chapters’ session on Wednesday, 13th May.

Beyond science, the Iberian Chapter also made time for a social gathering. We met at The Athletic Club & Social on Monday, 11th May, and more than 30 of us joined! Thanks to all the Iberian amig@s who came along and made the evening so memorable.

For the Iberian Chapter, ISMRM 2026 was a wonderful opportunity to connect with other chapters and ISMRM members, and to learn about the cutting-edge work our MRI peers are doing around the world. It’s impossible to leave ISMRM without feeling extra motivated to get back to our own research!

It was great to see you all, and we hope to meet again next year at ISMRM Vancouver!

We’ll leave you with a few pictures of beautiful Cape Town! Table Mountain was something out of this world, the Cape of Good Hope carries a special connection to Portuguese maritime history, and, of course, there were plenty of adorable penguins!

Beatriz Vale

Student Representative

** Recap 6th Annual Meeting of the ISMRM Iberian Chapter

The highlight of this year was the successful celebration of the 6th Iberian Chapter Annual Meeting, held in early July 2026 at the University of Coimbra, Portugal. The meeting brought together researchers, clinicians, and trainees from across the Iberian Peninsula in the historic and inspiring environment of one of Europe’s oldest universities and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The programme started with the ISMRM Mini Hub Workshop, featuring dedicated sessions on key areas of magnetic resonance research, including spin physics, image reconstruction and analysis, diffusion MRI, cardiovascular MRI, and oncology. These interactive sessions provided an excellent platform for participants to exchange ideas, discuss emerging challenges, and foster new collaborations across the MR community.

The main conference programme showcased the diversity and excellence of MR research in the Iberian Peninsula through a combination of clinical and preclinical oral and poster presentations, industry pitches, and dedicated networking opportunities. The scientific content was further enriched by three outstanding invited lectures: Tiago Gil Oliveira (University of Minho, Portugal), who highlighted the role of advanced neuroimaging approaches to investigate regional brain susceptibility to Alzheimer’s disease pathology; Francesco Grussu (Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology, Barcelona, Spain), who presented cutting-edge research on MRI signal modelling; and Rita Nunes (Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, Portugal), who shared her expertise in AI-assisted MRI for glioblastoma management.

A particularly engaging moment of the meeting was the round-table discussion, “Ultra-High-Field MRI – Transforming Patient Care or Just Expanding Research Possibilities?”, which brought together experts from different backgrounds to reflect on the current status, future perspectives, and translational challenges of ultra-high-field MRI.

Beyond the scientific programme, the meeting provided many opportunities for informal exchange and community building, including a visit to the historic University of Coimbra and its iconic Joanina Library, followed by the conference dinner, which offered a relaxed setting to strengthen existing collaborations and establish new connections. The combination of high-quality science, open discussions, and the distinctive atmosphere of Coimbra contributed to making the 6th Iberian Chapter Annual Meeting a truly memorable event. We sincerely thank the local organizing team, our sponsors, invited speakers, contributors, and all participants for their enthusiasm and commitment in making this meeting such a success.

Elisa Moya-Sáez

Postdoctoral Representative

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Basic information

Designed and edited by Irene Guadilla, Communication Officer.

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