Dr. Giles Santyr is a medical biophysicist working with physicians and engineers to pioneer new techniques for imaging the lungs of children. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is an attractive option but is challenging in the lung due to very low signal. Dr. Santyr’s lab is one of a handful in the world that is developing the use of MRI with hyperpolarized xenon-129 gas to allow the exploration of the pediatric lung, allowing for safer, earlier and more accurate diagnosis and long-term tracking of disease progression and treatment response. This research is expected to have a significant impact on the way physicians detect, diagnose and treat pediatric lung diseases such as cystic fibrosis, asthma and lung injury.