The IMAGO7 Foundation was established in 2010 by IRCCS Stella Maris, IRCCS Medea, IRCCS Giannina Gaslini, University of Pisa, Meyer University Hospital and Pisa University Hospital. It is an interdisciplinary research center for medical imaging, devoted to the development of the first and only system for Ultra High Field (UHF) Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in Italy, installed in 2011 thanks to the contribution of Fondazione Pisa.
The technical development of the 7T MR system and its application in clinical research are the main goals of IMAGO7 Foundation. The synergy between physicists, engineers and clinicians is essential to design novel imaging techniques and dedicated pulse sequences for the study of different disorders. The usage of the ultra high magnetic field boosts the potential of MRI, by increasing the achievable spatial, temporal or spectral resolution and enabling novel contrast weighting and quantitative measurements, so opening unprecedented opportunities for the detection of disease biomarkers.
To date, the research activity on the 7T MR scanner concerned technological development, neuroscientific research and clinical applications on neurodegenerative and neurodevelpmental disorders, epilepsy and pediatric brain tumors.
Part of the staff (physicists, engineers and computer scientists) refers to the Laboratory for Medical Physics and Biotechnologies of Magnetic Resonance (FiRMLab) of IRCCS Stella Maris.