Whole-body 3 Tesla MRI

• Subject Area: Medicine
• Term: Funded in 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 545059883

Neurosciences have traditionally been a focus of the Klinikum rechts der Isar of the Technical University of Munich, with the Cluster of Excellence "SyNergy - Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology" as the most prominent example. In a highly interdisciplinary environment, researchers investigate the complex interplay of (patho)physiological processes in neurological and psychiatric diseases. Neuroimaging is a central cornerstone here, with numerous high-caliber scientific projects in the field of methodological, translational and clinical research, underscored by several ERC grants. A "Center for MS and Neurosciences" is currently being built at the Klinikum rechts der Isar with financial support from the Klaus Tschira Foundation. This center will make a decisive contribution to interlinking the neurosciences even more closely. This is a unique opportunity to provide a state-of-the-art 3T MRI for translational and clinical neuroscience research at the interface of preclinical research, neurological outpatient clinics and hospitals, thus realizing its potential. This program pursues three goals: (1) The further development of modern MRI techniques, e.g. in the field of quantitative imaging, for improved diagnosis and characterization of neurological diseases, especially multiple sclerosis. (2) Translational and clinical neuroscientific research on (para)clinically intensively characterized patient populations to better understand the pathophysiology of neurological diseases and to identify clinically applicable biomarkers. (3) To actively participate in national (DIFUTURE, SyNergy) and international research collaborations (MultipleMS, WISDOM, EBRAINS 2.0) by means of high-quality data. The focus of equipment use is therefore on imaging research into neurological diseases. Currently, the MRI capacities at Klinikum rechts der Isar are very limited, a dedicated 3T research scanner is only available to the working groups on two days from 1 p.m.. On clinical scanners, measurements can only be taken from 9 p.m. and at weekends. In addition, all three scanners are outdated: the last upgrade was installed in 2016 and was clinically motivated and financed, so that no state-of-the-art 3T research scanner with modern gradient technology is available. As a result, participation in top-class national and international research consortia is severely limited and, due to the increasing importance of structural and functional connectomics (e.g. in EBRAINS 2.0), practically impossible without a new 3T MRI. As an essential building block in the new "Center for MS and Neurosciences", the 3T MRI applied for here offers a fascinating perspective to strengthen the excellent neuroimaging research at the Klinikum rechts der Isar and to realize synergy effects between the various scientific working groups under one roof.

• DFG Programme: Major Research Instrumentation
• Major Instrumentation: Ganzkörper-3 Tesla-MRT
• Instrumentation Group: 3231 MR-Tomographie-Systeme
• Applicant Institution: Technische Universität München (TUM)
• Leader: Professor Dr. Claus Zimmer