Prof. Dr. med. Reto Sutter

Area of Research

Description of Research Interest

The research focuses on musculoskeletal imaging, including advanced MRI and CT of the musculoskeletal system—especially joint and spine imaging, degenerative and inflammatory diseases, sports imaging, minimally-invasive pain therapy, postoperative assessment including metal-artifact reduction, and clinical translation of ultra-high-field (7 T) MRI. The research also integrates low-dose and dual-energy CT techniques into routine musculoskeletal medicine and research.
Prof. Sutter leads a specialized musculoskeletal imaging service, where part of the research is taking place. He is also the medical lead at the Swiss Center for Musculoskeletal Imaging (SCMI) at Balgrist Campus, which provides open-access research infrastructure including 7 T MRI, 3 T MRI, and photon-counting CT—enabling method development and multicenter studies.
 

Special Expertise

Musculoskeletal MRI (1.5 T/3 T/7 T)
CT of bone and joints (incl. dual-energy, low-dose protocols, photon counting CT)
Postoperative imaging and metal-artifact reduction (MR/CT)
Musculoskeletal radiographs and ultrasound
Minimally-invasive pain therapy
Image-guided interventions (spine and peripheral MSK)
Quantitative and translational MSK imaging workflows
 

Shareable Platforms, Services, Equipment & Infrastructure

Member of Collaborative/interdisciplinary Research Consortia

• FAROS (EU H2020 / Horizon Europe): Robotic-assisted, sensor-rich surgery and AI-guided navigation  Link
  
• SURGENT – HMZ Flagship Project: Precision across spine surgery, imaging, computation, and engineering  Link
  
• EXCITE Zurich: Academic network for experimental & clinical imaging technologies  Link
  
• PhD Programme “Imaging Sciences in Medicine” UZH: Co-Director  Link
  
• University Spine Center Zurich: Largest interdisciplinary spine center in Switzerland, offering comprehensive care and research across the full spectrum of spinal disorders  Link