Penn State's research strengths in the basic and applied sciences are being enhanced by the recent purchase of two Siemens 3 Tesla whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems: One will be located on the University Park campus and one will be housed at the College of Medicine.
The creation of identical imaging capabilities on the University Park and Hershey campuses allows investigators on the two campuses to develop collaborative activities that take advantage of specific strengths at each campus, and that foster links between basic science and clinical applications.
MRI uses a powerful magnetic field, radio waves and a computer to produce detailed pictures of organs, soft tissue, bone and virtually all other internal body structures. The on-campus availability of imaging will allow researchers to perform non-invasive structural and functional (fMRI) imaging of adults, children, small animals and materials. The technology is used to study, for example, how the brain recovers from accident-induced injuries, how individuals develop motor control, and how brains make sense of non-verbal social cues.
The presence of the new imaging technology on the University Park campus will add a critical piece to the existing imaging capabilities in the Magnetic Resonance Centre of the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences. This new technology will complement the recently established Human Electrophysiology Facility, which houses high- and low-density EEG equipment; the Center for Neural Engineering, which is developing, among other technologies, brain-machine interfaces; and the soon-to-be completed Virtual Reality Laboratory for the Social Sciences, which can be used across a broad spectrum of research questions.
According to Eva Pell, senior vice president for research, "The most exciting thing about the new MRI facility is that it will bring together incredibly talented faculty and students from a host of disciplinary backgrounds to tackle some of the most important research questions at the interface of life, health and social sciences. The potential is enormous and we look forward to broad participation as the opportunity becomes a reality."
The MRI facility will be located in Moore Building, and is expected to be operational by summer.
Funding for the purchase of the MRI units was provided by the Office of the Provost and the Senior Vice President for Research, with additional support from the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, the Social Science Research Institute, and the colleges of Engineering, Health and Human Development, and the Liberal Arts. Penn State's Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations identified and communicated with the equipment vendors, and negotiated final terms and costs with Siemens.