The Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy (MRIS) Facility provides support for imaging of cells, materials, tissues, small animals, patients, and volunteers. The Facility serves primarily UCCRC investigators, but also investigators in other areas of research. A variety of in vitro and in vivo measurements are offered including: (a) Pre-clinical and clinical evaluation of the effects of novel therapies based on tumor volume, morphology, perfusion, capillary permeability, cell viability from diffusion-sensitive imaging, and other measurements;(b) High resolution imaging of tissue samples;(c) Pre-clinical and clinical development and testing of new imaging methods for early detection and evaluation of cancer, for example novel approaches to Dynamic Contrast Enhanced MRI (DCEMRI) and spectral/spatial imaging;(d) Imaging of cells and tissues in culture;and (e) Development and testing of image-guided therapies including high intensity focused ultrasound. The Facility has an experienced staff. Together the Co-Directors, Drs. Greg Karczmar and Brian Roman provide expertise in MRI physics and technology, cancer imaging, and applications of MRI to study molecular biology and physiology. The Clinical Co-Director, Dr. Mitchell, is an experienced Radiologist with clinical trials expertise. The experienced staff includes Technical Directors for clinical and pre-clinical imaging, a Facility Manager with over 15 years of MRI experience, a Senior Veterinary Technologist with 25 years of experience, and a talented group of technologists and MRI physicists. Collaborative interdisciplinary and translational research is emphasized. For example, the MRIS Core provides support for the recently funded Breast Cancer SPORE, directed by Dr. Olufunmilayo Olopade. In 2007, the resources available to the Facility will be dramatically upgraded. A new state-of-the-art 9.4 Tesla small bore scanner will be installed in the Lynn S. Florsheim MRIS Laboratory, and this scanner will be used for pre-clinical research. This new scanner will significantly increase the spatial resolution and/or signal-to-noise ratio, and also the range of experiments that can be performed. In addition, a new 1.5 Tesla whole body research scanner will dramatically increase the capacity for clinical research. At the same time, the MRIS staff will be increased to include a Nurse Coordinator, and additional MRI technologists, to accommodate the increased volume of research.
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