The goal of the present NCRR proposal to the SIG program is to obtain resources for the upgrade of a current research-dedicated 3T Siemens MRI scanner that was purchased with NSF and private foundation funds and dedicated in September of 2004. When this scanner was purchased, it was state-of-the-art and it has provided outstanding service to the broad research community at the University of Rochester (and neighboring institutions). As MR technology continues to advance, however, the scanner is falling behind the curve of cutting-edge image acquisition. Limitations include the speed of acquisition, spatial resolution, real-time fMRI, and compensation for patient motion and image artifacts corrections. In addition, the scanner has shifted from a focus on neuroimaging to a broad array of structural, functional, diffusion/perfusion, and spectroscopic modalities applicable to cancer, orthopaedic and musculoskeletal research, to name just a few new user groups. Thus, it has become important to upgrade the scanner to enable specialized coils to conduct whole-body imaging without repositioning the patient. The specific upgrade that is requested from Siemens, called TIM (Total Imaging Matrix), consists of hardware (RF coils and receivers, gradients, and new computers) and software (new pulse sequences and post-processing tools) that improve the speed of image acquisition, improve the spatial resolution of both structural and functional scans, add the capability of obtaining real-time fMRI, reduce susceptibility artifacts, and provide coils for whole-body scanning. This upgrade will not only enhance on-going research projects but will expand the user-base to include new investigators who otherwise were unable to benefit from the current scanner. Current projects include studies of neuroimaging, cancer imaging, and orthopaedic imaging. It is important to note that the University of Rochester has made substantial commitments to the 3T imaging center in the form of space renovations (nearly $1 million) and on-going operating budget (over $500,000 per year). The proposed upgrade to the 3T scanner complements a broader strategic plan for imaging at the University of Rochester that has already resulted in three tenure-track faculty hires and several additional faculty hires (one outstanding offer and several planned for the next few years).
The upgraded scanner will significantly enhance a broad range of new basic and translational research projects at the University of Rochester. The basic research projects are aimed at fundamental aspects of how the brain mediates complex behaviors such as vision, language, and learning, and the translational research projects are aimed at the early diagnosis of disease, the assessment of disease states prior to treatment, and the adjustment of treatment regimes for optimal outcome. This broad range of studies of normal and pathological states will benefit greatly from improved anatomic, metabolic, and functional imaging, including neurological, cancer, and orthopaedic specializations.
