Animal Cognition
Animal facilities
Behavior exploration
Cerebral functions
Clinical Studies
Data analysis & modeling
Imaging
Instrumentation
Neuroanatomy

Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Neurosciences (IRM-INT center)

Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy for clinical and fundamental studies, in Human and Non-Human Primate

The Centre IRM-INT is a platform :
– specialized in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord): structural and quantitative imaging, diffusion imaging (structure of the white matter), functional imaging (measurement of brain activity during periods of rest or the completion of behavioral tasks), Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS: quantification of metabolites)
– dedicated to fundamental, clinical (healthy subjects and patients) and preclinical research (non-human primates: macaque, baboon, marmoset)
– equipped with a latest-generation 3 Tesla MRI system (Siemens-Prisma: ultra-high-performance gradients and radiofrequency chains), a mock-scanner for training subjects and an MRI-compatible, state-of-the-art, versatile and adaptive bench for stimulating and recording the subject’s behavioral and physiological data in real time
– offering a complete range of services, from protocol design to acquisition and data analysis support: physical aspects of MRI, instrumentation, methodologies, data analysis and statistics
– also able to support research projects in other disciplines (e.g. abdominal, muscular and pneumological imaging)
– actively involved in training at Masters (Neurosciences, Cognitive Sciences) and doctoral level, as well as in engineering schools (Centrale, Mines)

This platfom has been awared the AixMarseilleUniversity Label

Technics

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS)
Behavioral Tests
Physiological parameter monitoring and analysis
Image analysis

Equipments

Cluster computing
Whole body 3T MRI clinical system (human) & RF coils
Non-Human Primate anesthesia and monitoring system
Complete system for stimulating and recording behavioral and physiological data

Training

You are looking for a platform to train one or more staff on a particular technique or equipment?

The Centre IRM-INT is particularly open to students training (Master’s, doctoral and engineering level) as well as to researchers and industrial companies involved in research projects.

Services submitted to charges

Do you have a project that requires expertise, a technique or equipment that you don’t have? You’re not looking for scientific collaboration, but for the expert who can meet your needs? Then you’ve come to the right place.

The Centre IRM-INT is a platform dedicated to fundamental, clinical and preclinical research, and works with researchers from both the academic and industrial worlds. To propose a research project, simply contact the Centre IRM-INT team (int-irmf@univ-amu.fr): we will then arrange a meeting to define together the objectives of the project, its feasibility, its cost, its timeframe, the technical and human resources to be deployed, etc.

Numbers

3 complementary, highly-skilled research engineers
3 Tesla, 80 mT/m, 200 T/m/s, 80 RF channels : state-of-the-art MRI system
30 MRI-compatible, real-time stimulation and behavioral response recording devices
200 successfully completed fundamental research projects
200 top-level scientific publications
100 PhD students trained
30 industrial research projects, including pharmacological trials