GE Healthcare and the Medical College of Wisconsin have announced a collaboration on ultra-high field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to study early neurological and psychiatric disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease and bipolar disorder, and to develop new brain imaging techniques for detecting disease before clinical symptoms are evident.
The imaging research program, funded in part by a one-time capital investment from the State of Wisconsin, will be conducted at the Center for Imaging Research at the Medical College of Wisconsin.
One of only 30 such units installed worldwide, and the first in the State of Wisconsin, GE Healthcare will provide an investigational ultra-high field 7.0T (Tesla) magnetic resonance imaging scanner to help the Medical College apply MRI to study patients with a variety of disorders, including brain tumors, stroke, epilepsy, drug abuse, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, attention deficit disorder, multiple sclerosis, head injury, visual disorders and schizophrenia.
“The GE 7.0T MRI system will be a cornerstone of imaging research at the Medical College of Wisconsin and will be critical for the development and continued growth of numerous translational projects from faculty representing multiple departments and regional institutions,” said John R. Raymond, Sr., MD, the Medical College’s president and CEO. "Through the Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI), it will also allow area academic institutions to take advantage of this state of the art research tool for promoting collaborative biomedical research in Southeastern Wisconsin.”
GE Healthcare and the Medical College hope the results of the research to will contribute to earlier disease detection, more accurate diagnosis, and the increased effectiveness of investigational therapies.
“We are pleased to be selected by The Medical College of Wisconsin to provide ultra-high field strength MR imaging capabilities to help study patients with a variety of brain disorders,” said Jim Davis, vice president and general manager of GE Healthcare’s MRI business. “Only our most advanced 7.0T MRI system would do, as it has the ability to provide increased imaging resolution and sensitivity to help accelerate translational research. This collaboration is an excellent representation of how academia-industrial partnerships can work to stay abreast of developing changes providing more immediate health improvements and better outcomes.”
