Upright Open MRI services

Our Services

The Shared Platform for Upright Open MRI Research is a full-service facility for translational MRI research.

We welcome researchers new to or experienced with MRI. Our team of experts are here to support clinician-researchers and other researchers new to MRI to enable them to undertake research with this unique scanner. Each year we select a limited number of new studies to receive full support for obtaining pilot data for grant applications; please contact us for more information.

Our services include:

  • Study design
  • MRI positioning & building custom positioning rigs
  • MRI protocol development
  • Technical development and custom pulse sequences
  • MRI scanning
  • Image segmentation and quantitative image analysis
  • Support for tri-council funding applications.

The primary use of the Upright Open MRI is for academic health research, however researchers in other fields, including industry and government, are welcome to request services.

We are one of four research MRI facilities, each offering complementary scanning capabilities, that form the Vancouver MRI research hub.

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WHAT MAKES THE UPRIGHT OPEN MRI UNIQUE?

We are able to image bone and soft tissue function in activity (e.g. weight-bearing postures) rather than in supine position (lying down).  This is an advantage for investigations related to: 

  1. conditions experienced only (or primarily) in upright postures. 
  2. understanding normal and disrupted function in tissues and organs that function primarily in upright postures.

Our scanner’s stand-up, walk-in design allows people to be scanned:

  • in a variety of positions including standing, sitting, squatting, and lying down
  • through a range of motion
  • in weight-bearing postures
  • in positions relevant to physiological function

 

Upright Open MRI

Shared Research Platforms are facilities funded jointly by the Office of the VP, Research and Innovation and Faculties and departments for the purpose of offering specialized research services to UBC and external research communities.

UBC receives support for managing its research enterprise from the federal Research Support Fund.

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