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Auburn University breaking ground for new magnetic resonance imaging ( MRI ) research center on Feb. 4 at 2 p.m.

Auburn University and the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering will host a groundbreaking ceremony for a new $21 million facility that will house Auburn University's new magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, Research Center on Feb. 4 at 2 p.m. The facility will be located in the Auburn Research Park on Devall Drive.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will include remarks by Alabama Gov. Bob Riley, Auburn University President Jay Gogue, Auburn Board of Trustees member Charles McCrary, as well as Jeffrey Bundy, vice president, MRI, for Siemens Healthcare.

"The MRI Research Center is a prime example of how state funds can be invested and state educational institutions collaborate with the private sector to develop a world-class research center to advance science and technology, improving quality of life in the global community and promoting economic development for the state of Alabama," Dean of Engineering Larry Benefield said.

Magnetic resonance imaging uses a magnetic field and radio waves to create detailed images of organs, tissues and the skeletal system. The heart of the MRI machine is a large magnet whose strength is measured in Tesla, or T, and named for electrical engineer and inventor Nikola Tesla.

According to Gogue, the master research agreement signed last year with Siemens will advance Auburn University to the forefront of biomedical engineering and has the potential to bring lifesaving technologies to the citizens of Alabama and the region. Examples of current and potential areas of MRI-related research include brain function, metabolic imaging and pharmaceuticals, as well research into diabetes and heart disease.

The first floor of the new building will house a Siemens Verio open-bore 3T MRI scanner that will be used for both clinical and research use, as well as the nation's first actively shielded whole-body 7T MRI. There are only 28 7T scanners worldwide. Auburn's 7T will be one of two located in the southeastern U.S. and will be the only actively shielded unit in the U.S. This unit will be used solely for research. Thomas Denney, Auburn University professor of electrical and computer engineering, has been named director of the new research center.

"Our vision is to become a leading center for MRI research in the southern United States with emphasis on orthopedic imaging and research, coil design and functional MRI," Denney said. "These areas represent an intersection between the needs of the MRI research community, particularly in 7T imaging, and existing expertise and strengths of Auburn University." Functional MRI is a specialized type of scan used to provide an image of how the brain functions.

East Alabama Medical Center will lease approximately 3,000 square feet, including the 3T scanner for a clinical imaging operation. This floor will also house offices and waiting rooms, as well as a research laboratory.

The second floor of the building will contain a coil laboratory, office space for faculty and staff associated with the MRI Research Center and a distance-learning-enabled classroom for MRI training. It will also house office space for The Orthopedic Clinic, as well as the U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Lab, or USAARL, which will collaborate with Auburn on research on head and spinal injuries.

The Army will land a Blackhawk helicopter at the site at noon, which will be open for viewing by the public until 3:30 p.m.

Third-floor tenants will include EAMC Rehab Works, Auburn's Department of Kinesiology, The Auburn Spine and Neurosurgery Center with the office of Auburn adjunct professor and neurosurgeon Lee Warren, and Warren Innovation Inc. Warren will be involved with the MRI Research Center and the distance-learning classroom.
 
Source: Auburn University

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