Stanford Radiology is fortunate to have abundant MRI research facilities including three (3) MR and one (1) PET/MR scanners (see Equipment) and the expertise and support to offer an excellent environment for successful research studies.

Since 1992, the LUCAS Center for Imaging is one of the few centers in the world with major centralized resources devoted to research in radiological sciences where both basic and clinical scientists are housed. The center provides office and laboratory facilities for full-time faculty members and their complement of scientific staff, postdoctoral fellows and students. The LUCAS Center for Imaging supports collaborative and original research using volunteers and patients. The LUCAS Center for Imaging builds on a long-standing and very close working relationship between faculty and students of RSL, clinical Radiology Department and members of the Electrical Engineering Department. The groups have common seminars, journal clubs and study groups. Faculty members from all groups are joint advisors to many students, and have many federally funded and industry-funded collaborative research programs in place.

The LUCAS Center for Imaging has 37,000 square feet of space, dedicated to imaging research, and is located on the Stanford campus, one block from the School of Medicine and Stanford University Hospital. There are one (1) 3T GE whole-body MRI system, one (1) 3T Siemens whole-body MRI system, one (1) 7T Siemens MRI system and, one (1) PET/MR GE whole-body system (see Equipment for details). In addition, the LUCAS Center for Imaging has data analysis laboratories, an electronics laboratory/machine shop, and office space, and is well suited for handling the scanning of patients and normal volunteers comfortably and safely.

All computers in the LUCAS Center for Imaging are networked with all scanners, including all clinical scanners, and the PACS system. Adequate electronics, mechanical laboratory facilities, and machine shops and support personnel are situated at the LUCAS Center for Imaging and elsewhere at Stanford.

The Radiological Sciences Coil Laboratory at the LUCAS Center for Imaging has the latest equipment for fabrication, testing, and repair of high-field MRI coils. While no coil development is envisioned in this project, this lab can be used for making phantoms for use during MR sequence testing, and optimization. The Radiological Sciences Statistics Group at the LUCAS Center for Imaging has the latest software for analysis for the project.