Colorado State University researchers will soon have a new tool to aid in their investigations, and pilot grants are available to support that research.
A new magnetic resonance imaging scanning center is opening at the C. Wayne McIlwraith Translational Medicine Institute on CSU’s south campus, near the Veterinary Teaching Hospital. The center is a unique multi-use facility that will support a variety of clinical and research programs, including human neuroscience research as well as equine sports medicine.
The center will offer both anatomical MRI and functional or fMRI scanning capabilities. While MRI scans use magnetic fields and radio waves to create images of organs, fMRI scans measure brain activity through detecting changes in blood flow. CSU researchers from any department can use the Siemens Skyra 3T scanner (with a 64-channel head coil and multiband imaging capability) on a pay-for-service basis, with approval from the Institutional Review Board.
To help gather pilot data, the Office of the Vice President for Research has made funds available to pay for research time on the scanner through the Programs of Research and Scholarly Excellence, with additional contributions from the College of Health and Human Sciences and the Department of Psychology.
The Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Neurosciences (MCIN) program was recently awarded some of these funds to support pilot grants for human neuroscience research. These grants are intended to enhance external grant applications from principal investigators by funding fMRI scans, and will be available through Fall Semester 2020.
Applications for the initial round of funding are due by 5 p.m. on Monday, April 8, 2019; a second call is planned for Fall 2019. Please contact Stephanie Ouren and Grace McDaniels for more information about the application.
An informational session about the grant process and human MRI/fMRI neuroscience research will be held at noon on April 1 in the Behavioral Sciences Building, room 264. The discussion will be led by Professor Carol Seger and Assistant Professor Michael Thomas. Please contact Professor Seger for more information about the scanning center.
