Magnetic Resonance Science Center
Nola M. Hylton, Ph.D., Director, 415/476-6383

The Magnetic Resonance Science Center (MRSC) in the Department of Radiology at UCSF is dedicated to the development and clinical evaluation of advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and spectroscopy (MRS) techniques. This research facility was created by transforming 5,500 square feet in the basement of the faculty parking structure on the Parnassus campus. Its focus is combining the talents of basic scientists, clinicians and engineers to develop new technology, investigate novel applications of existing technology, and provide rapid optimization of clinical protocols. In addition to being used by faculty from the Department of Radiology, the MRSC supports projects from researchers in the Schools of Medicine, Pharmacy and Dentistry. Established with private foundation and industry awards, the main current source of support is peer-reviewed NIH funding of the research being performed at the MRSC. Research studies use a number of different MR techniques, but have the common thread of pushing the boundaries of signal-to-noise, temporal and spatial resolution in the quantitative evaluation of human disease. Major equipment currently available for research projects at the MRSC includes a 1.5T GE Signa Echospeed whole-body clinical imager, which has the capability of acquiring both imaging and spectroscopy data; a GE Advantage Windows workstation for offline processing; and a PACS workstation. To accommodate the advanced needs of the research projects at the MRSC, it is anticipated that the 1.5T scanner will be supplemented by a scanner with a field strength of 3T that will be based at an off-campus research site which is planned for a location near the new UCSF Mission Bay campus. Some projects will need to continue at a field strength of 1.5T, but the increased signal- to-noise and spectral resolution of the higher field are critical for many of the applications on the MRSC scanner. This is of particular relevance to projects that utilize high- resolution anatomic imaging, dynamic contrast uptake studies, diffusion tensor imaging, spectroscopy and functional imaging. A high-speed network connects the MR scanner and offline workstations to the network of Unix workstations within the MRSC, to the Department of Radiology PACS and to the campus backbone. Computing facilities include 55 Sun workstations, two Silicon Graphics workstation, 30 Macintosh computers, optical disk jukeboxes and numerous other peripherals. The MRSC also includes a fully vented wet laboratory, used for construction of phantoms and synthesis of new MR contrast agents, an electronics shop for manufacture of radio frequency coils and an area for preparation of experimental models. The staff comprises nine faculty, sixteen research fellows, eight graduate students, twelve research assistants, three research nurses, two research specialists, a computer systems manager, four computer programmers, four MR technologists, and five administrative assistants. Current studies being conducted at the MRSC in conjunction with leading UCSF clinicians include: an evaluation of response to therapy for patients with brain, prostate and breast tumors; quantitative assessment of changes in trabecular bone structure in patients with osteoporosis; study of arthritis, joint function and bone and soft tissue tumors; assessment of lesion load in multiple sclerosis; high-resolution imaging of epilepsy; and development of methods for metabolic and functional imaging for evaluation of the neuronal status of pediatric patients.

Research Directions:

• Applying novel MR spectroscopic and diffusion tensor imaging techniques for the study of the human newborn brain in preterm and term neonates
• Correlative MR imaging and diffuse optical spectroscopy of the breast for assessment of tumor response to chemotherapy
• Study of breast tissue composition using MRI and diffuse optical spectroscopy to assess breast cancer risk and measure risk reduction
• MRI/MRSI and histology of low grade gliomas
• Metabolic imaging of the prostate using 3DMRSI
• MRI evaluation of knee biomechanics
• Quantification of hepatic steatosis using MRI and MRS
• Optimization of MR techniques for quantification of disease burden in patients with Multiple Sclerosis
• Neurological predictors of Huntington's Disease
• In vivo MRI/MRS to study drug response in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis
• Convection-enhanced delivery of gadolinium-containing liposomes for real time imaging during intracranial administration of liposomes
• Functional MRI study of attention: Flanner Task-fMRI and electroencelphalography of cognitive processes in healthy volunteers

Recent Key References:

Hylton NM. Evaluation of gadobenate dimeglumine for contrast-enhanced MRI of the breast. AJR Am J Roentgenol 2003; 181(3):677-8.

Ikeda DM, Hylton NM, Kuhl CK, Weinreb JC, Morris EM, Kinkel K, Hochman MG, Kaiser WA, Lewin J, Degani H, Veihweg P, Schnall MD. American College of Radiology (ACR). ACR BI-RADS - Magnetic Resonance Imaging, First Edition. In: ACR Breast Imaging and Reporting and Data System, Breast Imaging Atlas. Reston, VA American College of Radiology; 2003.

Maas LC, Mukherjee P, Carballido-Gamio J, Veeraraghavan S, Miller SP, Partridge SC, Henry RG, Barkovich AJ, Vigneron DB. Early laminar organization of the human cerebrum demonstrated with diffusion tensor imaging in extremely premature infants. Neuroimage 2004; 22(3):1134-40.