Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research

Magnetic Resonance Imaging is a core element of the Center for Translational Neuroimaging (CTN). At the heart of the MRI Laboratory is an MRI instrument featuring a 4-Tesla superconductor magnet for imaging the brain and other parts of the human body. Research in this program is directed towards developing new directions in vivo Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR). There is also a new effort in transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and in gradient coil design and parallel imaging. The 4-Tesla instrument is located across the street from the PET laboratory.

9.4-Tesla microMRI unit

The CTN also commissioned a 9.4-Tesla microMRI laboratory in 2004 for imaging small animals such as mice and rats. The microMRI laboratory is a joint venture between the State University of New York at Stony Brook and Brookhaven National Laboratory. Research in this Laboratory is directed to understanding how genetic variations affect brain structure and function. Combined with a new optical imaging capability allowing tracking of intracellular calcium transients, the microMRI is being applied to understanding interrelationship between neuronal activation, metabolic and vascular processes in the normal and diseased brain

The knowledge developed with these MRI instruments is continuously being translated into the human arena to improve our understanding of brain function and chemistry in healthy individuals and patients with disorders such as drug addiction, aggression, eating disorders, autism and neurodegenerative disorders.

Last Modified: January 31, 2008

One of ten national laboratories overseen and primarily funded by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Brookhaven National Laboratory conducts research in the physical, biomedical, and environmental sciences, as well as in energy technologies and national security. Brookhaven Lab also builds and operates major scientific facilities available to university, industry and government researchers. Brookhaven is operated and managed for DOE’s Office of Science by Brookhaven Science Associates, a limited-liability company founded by Stony Brook University, the largest academic user of Laboratory facilities, and Battelle, a nonprofit, applied science and technology organization.

Privacy and Security Notice  | Contact Web Services for help