Dr. Stefan Vollmar

Head of IT Group,
Physicist, Software Developer

Email: vollmar@nf.mpg.de

http://www.nf.mpg.de/it

Tel.:+49 221 4726-213

Fax:+49 221 4726-298

MPI für neurologische Forschung
Gleueler Str. 50, 50931 Köln, Germany

Research Interests

Founder and lead developer of the VINCI project [1], [2], a software package designed for the visualization and analysis of volume data generated by medical tomographical systems with special emphasis on the needs for brain imaging with Positron Emission Tomography (PET).
Founder of the VHIST [3], [4] project which defines a file format specification that allows to embed arbitrary binary data (with structured meta-information and multiple facilities for validation) as documentation of workflows.
Contributor to the Org-Mode project. Org is an Emacs mode for notes, project planning and authoring.

Expertise

Software Development (C++, Python, Qt, PHP, SQL, IDL)
IT Management (Solaris, MacOS, Linux, MS Windows)
Positron Emission Tomography
Medical image analysis

Education and Professional Experience

Dr. Stefan Vollmar (born 1969 in Bonn), head of IT group

2006-2010: VINCI courses in Cologne and Paris (see below)
2006: Dr. rer. med. (grade summa cum laude), Faculty of Medicine at the University of Cologne and Max Planck Institute for Neurological Research [5], [6]
1999 to present: employed by Max Planck Institute for Neurological Research Cologne: physicist, since October 2005 heading the IT group; systems manager, project manager software development; member of VDI and IEEE.
April-June 2000: Research visit at CTI Inc., Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; parallelization of iterative reconstruction techniques for cluster computing [7]
1997-1998: employed at the Hattinger Prüf- und Entwicklungs-GmbH; iterative reconstruction for Industrial CT, beam hardening correction, visualisation, software consulting: [8]
1998: Physik-Diplom (M.Sc.), Universität zu Köln and MPINF [9]
1993-1997: employed as research assistant at the University of Cologne Center for Applied Computer Science (RRZK); porting UNIX Software (Solaris, AIX, IRIX, TrueUnix), documentation, training courses (software for Theoretical Chemistry, Web Publishing, Search Engines); webmaster
1995-1996: Independent consultant (software development); drivers for graphics boards, data base development for Apple Macintosh Systems
September 1995: Summer School Theoretical Physics Porto, Portugal.
August-September 1994: Research visit at Ecole Supérieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles, Paris and at KFA Jülich [10]
August 1993: Diplom-Vorprüfung Physik (B.Sc.)
December 1992: Dieter-Wohlleben-Preis; awarded for [11]
October 1990: Immatriculation, University of Cologne/Universität zu Köln (Physics)
October 1988 to May 1990: Zivildienst (community service)
June 1988: Abitur (university-entrance diploma), Städt. Gymnasium Lünen

Reviewing

Ad hoc reviewer for IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging.

VINCI Teaching (incomplete)

VINCI course, PET Imaging intensive programme “European Master in Molecular Imaging”, S. Vollmar  CEA Saclay/Paris, France, April 20-21, 2010.
VINCI course, PET Imaging intensive programme “European Master in Molecular Imaging”, S. Vollmar, CEA Saclay/Paris, France, June 2-3, 2009.
DiMI Training Course “Brain PET image analysis using VINCI”, S. Vollmar, K. Herholz, H. Backes, H. Endepols, M. Sué, R. Ullrich, J. Seehafer, MPI for Neurological Research, Cologne, Germany, March 02–05, 2009.
DiMI Training Course “Brain PET image analysis using VINCI”, L. Kracht, K. Herholz, S. Vollmar, M. Sué, H. Backes, C. Haense, R. Ullrich, MPI for Neurological Research, Cologne, Germany, March 04–07, 2008.
DiMI Training Course “Brain PET image analysis using VINCI”, L. Kracht, K. Herholz, S. Vollmar, Y. Waerzeggers, A. Winkeler, C. Haense, R. Ullrich, MPI for Neurological Research, Cologne, Germany, March 05–09, 2007.
DiMI Training Course “Brain PET image analysis using VINCI”, K. Herholz, S. Vollmar, L. Kracht, A. Thiel MPI for Neurological Research, Cologne, Germany, February 13–17, 2006.

Footnotes:

[1] S. Vollmar, M. Sué, A. Hüsgen, J. Nock, R. Krais, “VHIST/VINCI – New Concepts for typical Problems in Multi-Modality Imaging”, 4th European Molecular Imaging Meeting, Barcelona, May 27-30 2009, Barcelona, Spain. Abstract Book, (2009) 180.

[2] Cizek, J., Herholz, K., Vollmar, S., Schrader, R., Klein, J., Heiss, W.D., “Fast and robust registration of PET and MR images of human brain”, NeuroImage 1 (22) (2004) 434-42.

[3] S. Vollmar, M. Sué, A. Hüsgen, J. Nock, R. Krais, “VHISTdiff - comparing workflow histories (VHIST/VINCI)”, 5th European Molecular Imaging Meeting, Warsaw, May 26-29 2010, p 216.

[4] S. Vollmar, A. Hüsgen, M. Sué, M. May, R. Krais, “Workflow Histories and Image Data with Validation”, Abstracts of the XI Turku PET Symposium (2008) 108.

[5] Vollmar, S.: “Integration of Functional Imaging (PET) to Surgery Planning in Brain Tumors”, Max Planck Institute for Neurological Research and University of Cologne, Dissertation, 2006. Advisor: Prof. K. Herholz.

[6] S. Vollmar, J. Hampl, L. Kracht, K. Herholz, “Integration of Functional Data (PET) into Brain Surgery Planning und Neuronavigation”, Advances in Medical Engineering, Springer Proceedings in Physics 114 (2007) 98-103.

[7] Vollmar, S., Michel, C., Treffert, J.T., Newport, D.F., Casey, M.E., Knöss, C., Wienhard, K., Liu, X., Defrise, M., Heiss, W.-D.: “Heinzel-Cluster: accelerated reconstruction for FORE and OSEM3D”, Physics in Medicine and Biology, Vol 47, No. 15, pp. 2651–2658 (2002).

[8] Vollmar, S., Pietrzyk, U., Eschner, W.: “Application of Post reconstruction Methods for Beam Hardening Correction with Efficient Segmentation”, Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Computer Methods and Inverse Problems in Nondestructive Testing and Diagnostics in Minsk, Belarusk, 1998.

[9] Vollmar, S.: “Emissions-Tomographie: Bestimmung der Radioistopverteilung im menschlichen Gehirn, Anwendung iterativer Rekonstruktionsalgorithmen unter Berücksichtigung von anatomischen/morphologischen Randbedingungen”, Max-Planck-Institut für neurologische Forschung Köln/Universität zu Köln, Diplomarbeit, 1998. Advisors: Prof. U. Pietrzyk, Dr. W. Eschner, Prof. K. Wienhard.

[10] Vollmar, S., Herrmann, H.: “Settling of particles studied by a hydrodnamic cellular automaton for granular media”, Physica A 215: 411-419, (1995).

[11] Vollmar, S., Duarte, J.A.M.S.: “Hydrodynamic flow conditions through permeable walls”, J. Phys. I France 2: 1565-1569 (1992).