Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty visited Robarts Research Institute Feb. 10 to officially re-open the Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping in the A.M. Cuddy Wing at Robarts Research Institute.
The Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation (MRI) provided $12 million in funding in March of 2007 for renovations to the Cuddy Wing to accommodate two new MRI machines, a 3 Tesla magnet and 7 Tesla magnet, which were also part of the funding package.
“Our economy’s true purpose is to build a strong, caring society. This new technology will help our scientists make breakthroughs in important medical research. And it’s a good example of how innovation can be used to create a more caring society,” says McGuinty.
“For more than 20 years, Robarts has been on the leading-edge of medical discovery and our imaging scientists are recognized nationally and internationally for their work,” said Robarts Director Dr. John MacDonald.
“This investment from the Government of Ontario will enable our talented scientists and researchers to advance their investigations into the workings of the normal human brain, and of diseases such as mental illness, stroke and Alzheimer’s disease.”
The state-of-the-art Siemens 3T magnet is used to image the brain to study language, vision, memory, cognition, and schizophrenia. It will also be used for cardiac imaging. It was commissioned in the fall of 2008.
7T functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging system (fMRI)
The Varian/Siemens 7T MRI is the most powerful clinical magnet of its kind in Canada and was developed specifically to study human brain function. This particular magnet supports research on Alzheimer’s disease, mental illness and stroke.
“With this new system in place, Canada joins an elite group of only seven nations that are able to offer researchers in neurology and magnetic resonance imaging a 7T human brain imaging facility,” said Dr. Ravi Menon, Robarts’ Deputy Director.
The 7T became operational in December of 2008.