Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

The research MRI facilities at The Florey facilitate cross-disciplinary collaboration between clinicians and scientists across Melbourne. Our imaging platform is equipped to support the acquisition of cutting-edge human neuroimaging in clinical populations from across the lifespan, including high-resolution neuroanatomical, functional and diffusion imaging.

Primarily located on the ground floor of the Melbourne Brain Center at the Austin Hospital Heidelberg, the facility is co-located with several Florey and University of Melbourne research laboratories and specialised Austin Hospital clinics.

Male research radiographer examines an MRI scan in an MRI facility

3T MRI

The Florey’s MRI facility is unique in Australia, housing state-of-the-art 3-tesla MRI scanners dedicated to research.

Our instrumentation includes a Siemens 3T Prisma Fit MRI and a Siemens 3T wide-bore Vida MRI. These MRI scanners are complemented by a range of peripheral equipment including high density EEG, transcranial magnetic stimulation, in-scanner eye-tracking, prospective motion correction and phantoms designed for precision quantitative imaging.

The facility also houses a mock MRI scanner that is particularly useful for preparing children or those nervous about an MRI for their scan.

Imaging partners

The Florey’s Heidelberg MRI facility is a node of the National Imaging Facility and the Victorian Biomedical Imaging Capability networks. These networks facilitate access to imaging equipment, expertise, and tools to solve critical problems related to human health and disease. Additional partnerships include an ongoing collaborative engagement with Siemens Healthcare and the Austin Hospital via the newly established Florey Clinics model for clinical research.

The MRI Facility is also the central node for the Australian Epilepsy Project (AEP), a multi-site project funded by the Medical Research Future Fund aimed at improving outcomes for people living with epilepsy. The facility works with the AEP team to implement advanced MRI acquisitions that are then rolled out to additional nodes in the nation-wide AEP network.

Patient sits within an MRI scanner with MRI imagery on screen in background

Imaging software

Florey imaging researchers have developed a range of image analysis software, free to download. This includes iBrain™ and the iBrain™ Analysis Toolbox for SPM which can work independently or together to perform neuroimage processing, analysis and visualisation.

Imaging software iBrain™

Contact

Associate Professor Heath Pardoe, NIF Node Director
P
+61 3 9035 7019
E [email protected]