Dr. Lawrence Crooks began his career in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology at the prompting of engineering science professor Jerome L. Singer (1976). During the 1970s Crooks and Singer overturned widely held beliefs about the maximum magnetic field possible for MRI, advancing its use in detecting tumors and diseases.

Dr. Crooks served on the faculty of the University of California, San Francisco, for 13 years, and also as Assistant Director of the Radiologic Imaging Laboratory. Dr. Crooks’ professional background includes engineering and R&D roles at Toshiba America MRI and Digital Electronics Corporation.

His professional honors include the International Taylor Prize from the John P. Robarts Research Institute, a Gold Medal from the Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, and membership in the honor societies Phi Beta Kappa, Eta Kapp Nu and Sigma Xi.

Dr. Crooks has served on the Board of Trustees of the Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, and has chaired the San Francisco area chapter for the IEEE Group on Engineering in Medicine and Biology. He has published over 100 articles in peer-reviewed scientific publications, and has served on the editorial board of the journal Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Dr. Crooks holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, as well as Master of Science and Bachelor of Science degrees in Electrical Engineering from Berkeley.