Magnetic Resonance Research Facility

MERF Research Suite Online Tour

In January of 2006 Dr. Alan Stolpen, MD, PhD, and MR research committee member, was awarded with the National Institutes of Health High End Instrumentation Grant to fund the purchase of a research dedicated Siemens Trio 3T scanner to be located in the College of Medicine’s Medical Education Research Facility in suite L169. On June 12, 2007 the 3T arrived and was positioned so that ramping could begin. Final ramping and testing concluded on July 20, 2007, and the 3T’s first research scan commenced at 8:00 a.m. on Friday, August 31.

The 1500 square foot research suite at L169 MERF houses the 3T research scanner, a scanner equipment room, electronics shop, washing station, personal lockers for researchers and visitors, ten research work stations and multiple general-use computers available with Windows, Linux and Macintosh operating systems. Currently, four graduate students, one radiology medical student, our MR Physicist, a Research Assistant II and the Research Center’s Program Assistant share the research space.

Adjacent to the main suite is a subject waiting area for multiple subjects, complete with a flat screen TV and private dressing room with lockers. Located only yards away from the waiting room is a bus stop and parking ramp, so subjects have convenient access to parking and public transportation. Across from the subject waiting room is a specimen preparation laboratory, accessible only by University ID card access. Here, researchers have 250 square feet of work space, a mobile industrial prep table, wash station, narcotics lockbox and overhead adjustable lighting.