OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — UNMC is adding a new $2.5 million MRI machine that its chancellor is calling a game changer.
“Having an MRI that is dedicated to research is the missing piece of the puzzle that we needed to take our research enterprise to the next level," Chancellor Jeffery Gold said. "It will not only have a huge impact on research, but it also will enhance our education and clinical care. Ultimately, it will help us unlock the mysteries of the brain and hopefully provide some answers to complex neurological problems such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, which presently don’t have any real solutions.”
The state-of-the art machine cuts the time the subject is in an MRI for in half. The machine will be used by UNMC researchers in neurological sciences, psychiatry, cardiology and neurosurgery, according to a release.
In 2018, UNMC increased its research funding almost 16 percent with the grand total being north of $135 million.
“Having this instrument will not only speed up our ability to conduct this type of research, but it also will allow us to participate in national multicenter trials focused on brain research,” Jennifer Larsen, M.D., UNMC vice chancellor for research said. “Neuroimaging is critical to understanding how the brain works or is impacted. This MRI will allow us to explore brain development and brain deterioration. It will help us understand how cancers develop or move to the brain and determine which medications are most effective in treating certain neurological conditions.”
