Renal Arterial Blood Flow Quantification by Breath-held Phase-velocity Encoded Mri

For my family and for Clint, Thank you for your constant love and support… iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENT There are a number of individuals I would like to thank and acknowledge for their assistance and support in reaching my goals (specifically this thesis) and helping me to get to the point in my life that I am at today. I would first like to thank my family. Mom, thank you for listening to me all the many days I was so upset and stressed. I would not have made " it out " without you. Dad, I do not know where I would be without all the days you pushed me. Just as you always said, it has paid off. I would also like to thank my brother, Patrick, for all the days he told me to cheer up and for how he can always make me laugh. I would also like to thank Clint, for always being my pillar of support. Without him, the past four years would have been so much different and more difficult. He has such an incredible ability to calm me down when I feel that things cannot get any worse. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful and caring companion. I owe my deepest appreciation to Dr. Dave Frakes, for ALL his assistance in so many ways relating to this work. From our many LATE nights dancing to the beat of the MRI, and all his support and advice; I am forever indebted. THANK YOU!!! I would like to sincerely thank Dr. Arlene Chapman for not only her academic and financial support in this project, but for her medical knowledge and abilities. She has helped my family to such an incredible to degree, and I am so thankful for all her support and assistance. I would like to thank Dr. Ajit Yoganathan for his support in helping me to complete this thesis and for showing me so many wonderful new ideas in the field of v Bioengineering. I would like to thank him for allowing me to be part of such a world-class research group made up of so many wonderful people. He has been influential in many of my decisions, and has taught me to look at everything from a broader point of view. Many thanks to my committee members, Dr. and Dr. Ray Vito, for all their support of my research and …