Functional and Molecular Imaging Center

The Ellison Foundation today approved one of the first grant proposals submitted by the Functional and Molecular Imaging Center (FMIC), Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital.  The institution will use the funding to initiate a new research program in molecular imaging of Alzheimer's Disease research. Dr. Stephen Wong, Associate Professor of Radiology and Executive Director of FMIC, is the principal investigator. He will lead a multidisciplinary team including Drs. Geoffrey Young, Masanori Ichise, Alun Jones, Ashfaq Mahmood, Jinmin Zhu, and Kelvin Wong, as well as Robert Bachoo from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Dr. Wong and his research team will use two powerful live-imaging technologies, microPET/microSPECT (biochemistry imaging) and microMRI (functional and anatomical imaging) to study genetically altered mice with mutations modeling Alzheimer's disease and with mutations modeling glioblastoma. This will allow them to investigate both the fundamental neurobiology of blood vessel growth (angiogenesis) in tumor formation, as well as the disease progression of the neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease. By using advanced computer science techniques comparable of the types of image processing that is employed in recent Hollywood movies, sophisticated image fusion from different live-imaging technologies can be combined to bring insight to the underlying biology and pave the way for development of new tests and treatments for patients with brain cancer and dementia.

FMIC is an Interdisciplinary Effort to provide core facilities for biomedical imaging research and to investigate personalized medicine programs for major disease areas.  It is a platform technology for the new Brigham Research Institute.