Andrea Capozzi

Nationality: Italian

EPFL SB IPHYS LIFMET
CH F1 633 (Bâtiment CH)
Station 6
1015 Lausanne

Expertise

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)
Electron Spin Resonance (ESR)
Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (DNP)
Hyperpolarization Techniques
Cryogenics

Open PhD positions

Open PhD position on the Physics of Xenon hyperpolarization

A PhD student position is available on the Physics of Xenon hyperpolarization: Spin Exchange Optical Pumping (SEOP) and Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (DNP)

The project builds on a well-established and long-standing collaboration between the Laboratory for Functional and Metabolic Imaging at EPFL (Lausanne, Switzerland) and the School of Health Science (Geneva, Switzerland).
The involved research lays across nuclear spin dynamics and biomedical imaging. The main goal of the project is to answer fundamental questions on the spin order transfer mechanisms to enhance the Xenon polarization.
The successful candidate will have a strong interest in nuclear spin Physics and Chemical Physics, be able to work independently in a multidisciplinary team and get acquainted quickly with new methods. We expect him/her to be comfortable in an experimental environment as well as for theoretical developments.
The candidate will have access to a top-notch hyperpolarization laboratory equipped with two DNP polarizers/ESR spectrometers (3.35 T and 5 T), one SEOP polarizer, a multi-nuclei 1 T benchtop NMR spectrometer, a low-field MRI scanner and a 400 MHz NMR spectrometer. Active external collaborations also provide access to clinical and pre-clinical MRI platforms.
With a master degree preferably in Physics or Chemical Physics, the candidate should have good communication skills, experience with programming (MATLAB, Python, C/C++) and experimental Physics.
French speaking proficiency and experience with NMR/ESR is a plus.
The project involves regular travels between Lausanne and Geneva.
Applicants should send by email a CV, cover letter, master final marks, publications on scientific journals if any and three references (with email address) to:

andrea.capozzi@epfl.ch

jean-noel.hyacinthe@hesge.ch

Education

PhD

| Physics

2016 – 2016 EPFL

MSc

| Physics

2011 – 2011 University of Pavia

BSc

| Physics

2009 – 2009 University of Pavia

Awards

Hyperpolarization media study group award 2020, ISMRM conference

1st place

2020

Hyperpolarization methods & equipment study group award 2019, ISMRM conference

1st place

2020

Selected publications

13C Dynamic Nuclear Polarization using SA-BDPA at 6.7 T and 1.1 K: Coexistence of Pure Thermal Mixing and Well-Resolved Solid-Effect

Radaelli A., Yoshihara H. A. I., Nonaki H., Sando S., Ardenkjær-Larsen J.H., Gruetter R., Capozzi A.#
Published in The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters in

UV-Irradiated 2-Keto-(1-13C)Isocaproic Acid for High-Performance 13C Hyperpolarized MR

Patel S.#, Pinon A. C., Lerche M. H., Karlsson M., Capozzi A., Ardenkjær-Larsen J. H.;
Published in The Journal of Physical Chemistry C in

Hyperpolarization via dissolution dynamic nuclear polarization: new technological and methodological advances

Pinon A. C., Capozzi A., Ardenkjær-Larsen J.H.#
Published in Magnetic Resonance Matererials in Physics, Biology and Medicine in

Hyperpolarized water through dissolution dynamic nuclear polarization with UV-generated radicals

Pinon A. C., Capozzi A., Ardenkjær-Larsen J.H.#
Published in Communication Chemistry in

Gadolinium Effect at High-Magnetic-Field DNP: 70% 13C Polarization of [U-13C] Glucose Using Trityl

Capozzi A.#, Patel S, Wenckebach W.T., Karlsson M., Lerche M.H, Ardenkjær-Larsen J.H.
Published in The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters in

Efficient Hyperpolarization of U-13C-Glucose Using Narrow-Line UV-Generated Labile Free Radicals

Capozzi A.#, Patel S., Gunnarsson C.P., Marco-Rius I., Comment A., Karlsson M., Lerche M.H., Ouari O., Ardenkjær-Larsen J.H.
Published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition in

Optimized microwave delivery in dDNP

Albannay M.M., Vinther J.M.O., Capozzi A., Zhurbenko V., Ardenkjaer-Larsen J.H.#
Published in The Journal of Magnetic Resonance in

Photogenerated Radical in Phenylglyoxylic Acid for in Vivo Hyperpolarized 13C MR with Photosensitive Metabolic Substrates

Marco-Rius I.#, Cheng T., Gaunt A.P., Patel S., Kreis F., Capozzi A., Wright A.J., Brindle K.M., Ouari O., Comment A.
Published in Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS) in

Liquid-State 13C Polarization of 30% through Photoinduced Nonpersistent Radicals

Capozzi A.#, Karlsson M., Petersen J. R., Lerche M. H., Ardenkjær-Larsen J. H.
Published in The Journal of Physical Chemistry C in

Probing cardiac metabolism by hyperpolarized 13C MR using an exclusively endogenous substrate mixture and photo-induced non-persistent radicals

Bastiaansen J.A.M.#, Yoshihara H.A.I., Capozzi A., Schwitter J., Gruetter R., Merritt M.E., Comment A.
Published in Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (MRM) in

Photo-Induced non-Persistent Radicals as Polarizing Agents for X-Nuclei dissolution-DNP

Capozzi A.#, Hyacinthe J.-N., Cheng T., Eichhorn T.R., Boero G., Roussel C., van der Klink J.J., Comment A.#
Published in The Journal of Physical Chemistry C in

Optimal glass-forming solvent brings sublimation dynamic nuclear polarization to 129Xe hyperpolarization biomedical imaging standards

Capozzi A.#, Roussel C., Comment A.#, Hyacinthe J.-N.
Published in The Journal of Physical Chemistry C in

Direct dynamic measurement of intracellular and extracellular lactate in small-volume cell suspensions with 13C hyperpolarized NMR

Breukels V.#, Jansen K.C., van Heijster F.H., Capozzi A., van Bentum P.J.M., Schalken J.A., Comment A., Scheenen T.W.J.
Published in NMR in Biomedicine in

Spin dynamics in hybrid iron oxide-gold nanostructures

Orlando T.#, Capozzi A., Umut E., Bordonali L., Mariani M., Galinetto P., Pineider F., Innocenti C., Masala P., Tabak F., Scavini M., Santini P., Corti M., Sangregorio C., Ghigna P.l, Lascialfari A.
Published in The Journal of Physical Chemistry C in

Hyperpolarization without persistent radicals for in vivo real-time metabolic imaging

Eichhorn T.R., Takado, Y., Salameh N., Capozzi A., Cheng T., Hyacinthe J.-N., Mishkovsky M., Roussel C., Comment A.#
Published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS) in

Over 35% liquid-state 13C polarization obtained via dissolution dynamic nuclear polarization at 7 T and 1 K using ubiquitous nitroxyl radicals

Cheng T.#, Capozzi A., Takado Y., Balzan R., Comment A.
Published in Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics (PCCP) in

Research

PhD Thesis: Methods to hyperpolarize nuclear spins

New methods in hyperpolarization

My research field deals with hyperpolarized Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) via Dissolution Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (dDNP). Driven since the beginning by interdisciplinary scientific interests, I achieved the master's degree following a university curriculum across Condensed Matter Physics and Bio-Physics (Pavia, Italy). Afterwards, I moved to EPFL to start a PhD thesis in dDNP under the supervision of Prof Arnaud Comment. Among other projects, I focused on the development and implementation of non-persistent UV-induced radicals for dDNP. I delivered the most impressive result demonstrating that non-persistent radicals can be scavenged in-situ. Since then, I pursues the way towards making hyperpolarization transportable and available to everybody. Afterwards, I moved to DTU in Prof Ardenkjaer-Larsen group (the dDNP inventor) to improve my knowledge and push the UV-radicals technique to the next level. Moreover, I have been investigating the physics of the DNP process at high magnetic field in order to understand how to improve the properties/performances of the UV-radicals.

Teaching & PhD

BSc course: General Physics I

Exercises (2019)

BSc course: TP de Physique

NMR laboratory module (2012 - 2015)

PhD course: Advanced biomedical imaging methods an

Hyperpolarization module (2019 - present)