The specific aim of this proposal is to obtain funding to purchase a GE Healthcare Discovery MR750 3T Human Whole-Body Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) system to be installed in the Imaging Sciences Center of a newly-constructed, state-of-the-art medical research facility named the Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research (WIMR) located on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison). Currently, MRI is the main research focus of more than 70 UW investigators. These investigators comprise a multi-disciplinary group, including faculty, staff, and students from the departments of Medical Physics, Radiology, Biomedical Engineering, Physics, Engineering, Mathematics, Computer Science, and others. The main emphasis of the research is developing new acquisition and reconstruction methods for enhancing the diagnostic capabilities of clinical medical MR imaging in order to improve healthcare worldwide. Current projects focus on rapid imaging, non-Cartesian acquisition trajectories, anatomic vascular imaging, flow imaging of blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), pressure mapping, high temporal resolution imaging of contrast material kinetics, functional brain mapping, primary and secondary liver cancer imaging, hepatic storage imaging, hyperpolarized gas imaging, high spatial resolution breast imaging, high spatial resolution cartilage degradation biomarker imaging, MRI-guided therapy, radiofrequency (RF) transmit/receive coil development, parallel imaging for non-Cartesian acquisition trajectories, anatomic and functional renal imaging, fat and water separation, as well as a host of other topics. In addition to the investigators who perform MR imaging research, there are more than 25 investigators whose research projects rely partially on MRI. These investigators study topics such as treatment planning for cancer, treatment response of cancer, multi-modality image fusion for cardiovascular interventional applications, progression of Alzheimer's disease and its response to therapy, progression of epilepsy in adults and children and its response to therapy, the impact of stroke on swallowing and response to tongue exercises, the effects of injury on muscle morphology and function, and many other medical issues. At UW-Madison, there is a long-standing tradition of inter-departmental and inter-disciplinary collaborations that are necessary for advancing clinical and basic science. The availability of the GE Healthcare Discovery MR750 3T MRI system, conveniently located in a research facility, connected to the hospital, and devoted strictly to research activities, will provide a valuable and necessary resource for the rapid advancement of MRI research projects that will lead to enhanced understanding of human diseases and advances in MR imaging methods and technologies that will provide greater diagnostic capabilities. The goal of the MRI research activities that will be performed on this system is to improve healthcare for all humankind.
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have a history of developing novel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods that have led to advances in modern medical imaging and improvements in diagnosing human diseases. Availability of a 3T MRI scanner that is dedicated solely to medical imaging research will: i) accelerate the translation of these methods from the lab to the clinic, ii) permit completion and continuation of existing projects permitting retention of UW faculty, staff, and students, iii) facilitate the acquisition of future funding, making possible retention of current, and recruitment of future, researchers, and iv) lead to the development of new features for medical imaging that will provide increased jobs in the commercial sector and may even lead to reductions in healthcare costs. Acquisition of the MR750 has positive impact on the environment, since GE has several """"""""green"""""""" solutions such as a refurbishment and recycling program where 94% of materials are reused, redeployed, or recycled, and during operation, the MR750 has low energy requirements and requires very few consumables.
