Dr. Ackerman is known internationally for his contributions to the application and development of nuclear magnetic resonance techniques for the study of intact living systems. He is currently focusing his research in three main efforts: a project to explore why it appears that cells at a lower pH are considerably more sensitive to heat than cells of normal pH. The answers have applications to cancer therapies that would lower the pH of a tumor, thus increasing the therapeutic efficacy of hyperthermia. Second, his lab is developing high-resolution NMR imaging techniques that are suitable for use on transgenic mice. The third area is defining biophysical events associated with cell injury to help physicians distinguish between salvageable cells and irreversibly damaged cells at the site of a stroke in the brain.