With topics ranging from soil erosion to dieters’ eating patterns to radiation therapy, 49 graduate students presented their research to faculty members, their peers, and others in the Dartmouth community during this year’s Graduate Poster Session. The event was part of the annual Graduate Student Appreciation Week, held April 6 through 10.

Awards were presented to five graduate students for their posters including:

Ligin Merlin Solamen (Photo by Eli Burakian ’00)

Ligin Merlin Solamen, Thayer School of Engineering
Hometown: Orland Park, Ill.

Poster Title: Brain Mechanical Property Measurements Using MR Elastography

Research: “I work on developing a technique called Magnetic Resonance Elastography (MRE). MRE is a medical imaging method that quantifies mechanical properties in tissue. We study the differences between normal and diseased human brain and the mechanical changes that occur in neuropathological diseases such as hydrocephalus, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease and brain tumors.”

Why Dartmouth: “Thayer continues to impress me with its innovative research. It is one of the few schools that focus on bridging the gap between engineering and clinical medicine.”