# Technology to Realize the Full Potential of UHF MRI

> **NIH NIH P41** · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA · 2020 · $1,227,117

## Abstract

OVERALL ABSTRACT
The Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR) has pioneered many of the MR methods that are critical
in contemporary biomedical research including (but not limited to) the introduction of UHF instrumentation and
accompanying techniques that overcome its challenges, accelerated MR imaging approaches, and many of the
methods used to obtain biochemical information in vivo using spectroscopy and multinuclear capabilities. To
continue the tradition of innovation, the long term goal of this Center proposal is to establish a national resource
for enabling ultrahigh field (UHF, mostly 7T and above), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technologies to
advance biomedical research and discovery. Towards building this P41 center, several technical research and
development (TRD) projects are proposed that will work synergistically to realize the potential of our unique
imaging resources. TRD1 involves the development of a multimodal imaging platform allowing simultaneous
optical imaging, an invasive technology capable of visualizing neuronal activity at the single neuron and synapse
level, with non-invasive MRI methods which provide high resolution functional MRI and connectivity data over
the entire brain but at a coarser spatiotemporal resolution. This platform will provide unprecedented opportunities
for detailed studies of brain function underlying behavior and inform future human studies using MRI alone. TRD2
focuses on establishing a sensitive molecular imaging platform combining novel systems solutions and advanced
strategies to perform multinuclear MRI spectroscopy and imaging studies. This system will provide unparalleled
sensitivity to probe molecular parameters to characterize tissue through molecular dynamics, spatial distributions
of functional metabolic parameters and advanced multinuclear studies. TRD3 develops reconstruction strategies
supporting highly accelerated high-resolution imaging approaches while incorporating methods to reduce the
impact of physiologic motion and noise. These reconstruction methods advance the field by overcoming what
otherwise would be limiting factors with respect to achievable temporal and spatial resolutions. TRD4 provides
critical engineering solutions addressing both 1) radiofrequency (RF) coil (i.e. antennae) designs and safety for
sensitive high resolution imaging at UHF without which the systems conceived of in TRD1 and TRD2 could not
be realized and 2) methods to image around implants by minimizing heating and artifacts which if not addressed
would limit the access of the UHF imaging to a large section of the population. As described, these projects can
tackle the fundamental challenges of UHF. Only when these challenges are addressed can we develop the new
approaches to truly advance basic and clinical translational research. In fact it is exactly this cycle of development
and discovery that inspired, then justified, the spending of time and resources to develop, build and site the
10.5T ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9850575
- **Project number:** 5P41EB027061-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
- **Principal Investigator:** Gregory John Metzger
- **Activity code:** P41 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $1,227,117
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-02-01 → 2024-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9850575

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9850575, Technology to Realize the Full Potential of UHF MRI (5P41EB027061-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9850575. Licensed CC0.

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