cMRI

Message from the Chair, Core of Multidisciplinary Research for Medical Imaging

    The Core of Multidisciplinary Research for Medical Imaging (cMRI) was established in 2009 for promoting a project involving the establishment of an interdisciplinary research center for functional/dynamic bioimaging.  The project is supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Strategic Medical Science Research Center from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan.

    The aim of this project is the establishment of an international center for advanced research in the field of central nervous and cerebrovascular systems; various bioimaging techniques will be used at this center, including, in particular, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with an ultrahigh-field 7-Tesla scanner.  This scanner is only the second of this type available in this country.  At cMRI, approximately 30 researchers from 18 departments of 3 schools have been segregated into interdisciplinary study teams for several subthemes.  These include microvascular imaging for preventing cerebrovascular disorders, next-generation noninvasive imaging for precisely evaluating cerebral blood flow and metabolism, high-resolution imaging of brain function and psychiatric conditions, and multimodal imaging for cellomic analysis of injury and repair of the nervous system.  In addition, we actively promote collaborations with domestic and foreign institutions and companies as well as the education of young researchers.

Makoto SASAKI
Chair, Core of Multidisciplinary Research for Medical Imaging
Professor, Section for Ultrahigh-Field MRI