The mission of the Surbeck Laboratory and related imaging units is to create an optimal environment for cutting edge imaging research and education, contributing to translational science at UCSF across departments, campuses and affiliated institutions. The Laboratory serves as an intellectual hub through which over 100 researchers and staff conduct studies, develop new technologies, educate post-doctoral scholars, graduate and professional students, produce a large number of original research articles appearing in leading MR journals, and submit over 70 abstracts annually to the International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. This site, which focuses on new imaging development, complements the 3T research magnet at China Basin that is designed for patient studies and routinely provides MD and RN coverage.

The state-of-the-art equipment includes GE 3T and 7T high field magnets, two Oxford Instruments hyperpolarizers, one prototype GE polarizer, and 500MHz and 600MHz Varian NMR instruments. The amenities for human subjects include reception area, changing room with lockers and restroom adjacent to interview and preparation rooms. In addition, there is a clean room for preparing hyperpolarized compounds for future human studies. Located at the opposite end of the laboratory is a suite for animal management that includes rooms for housing, preparation and surgery. Other crucial laboratory facilities are the MR Coil & Electronics Shop, the Fabrication and Machine Shop, and a server room dedicated to the heavy computational needs of the research programs in the building.

The 3T and 7T scanners are available to researchers on a recharge basis, with dedicated staff to assist in application development. These magnets have the latest technology from GEH with 32 receivers and a high speed / high volume data pipeline, multi-nuclear capability and high performance gradients. The 7T system is one of a handful of research systems constructed by GEH for collaborative development with academic partners. There are multiple exciters for dual-excitation, decoupling and multi-nuclear editing. The frequency converter allows imaging and spectroscopy with H-1, F-19, P-31, Na-23 and C-13 with decoupling and inverse detection capabilities. The system includes software for automated shimming of second order resistive shim coils. The prototype polarizer from GE Amersham is installed immediately adjacent to the 3T scanner in a custom designed clean room so that sterile agents can be produced for human studies.

New researchers and researchers with new studies: before completing the MR Study Application, send an email of intent with a brief statement of the type and length of study, and approximate hours per week of scan time, to Hillie.cousart@radiology.ucsf.edu

Users Application Form [Download PDF].