Joseph Helpern has dedicated more than four decades to advancing medical imaging. In 1979, while a research scientist at Baylor College of Medicine, he was on the team that designed one of the world's strongest MRI systems at the time. He later helped develop several other MRI systems and co-developed an imaging method used by clinicians to better evaluate the structure of brain tissue.
A professor at New York University's Grossman School of Medicine for most of his career, Helpern is professor emeritus at Medical University of South Carolina. He also is CEO of Verdant Power, a company that develops systems to convert the kinetic energy of fast-moving water into electricity.
As founder and executive director of New Vision Research (NVR), a Charleston, South Carolina, nonprofit, he continues to mentor faculty. NVR awards medical research grants and sponsors conferences where researchers mainly focused on Alzheimer's disease can present studies and network.
The nonprofit allows him to give back in a new way. "Since I retired from academia, I miss the students," Helpern said. "But NVR allows me to stay engaged and to help young scientists."
This piece, written by Lauren Dangel, originally appeared in the Fall/Winter 2024 issue of Think Magazine.