Florida Atlantic University (FAU) and imaging provider University MRI have announced a new five-year joint research agreement, giving FAU researchers access to state-of-the-art imaging technology such as a 3T MRI scanner for functional MR scans and MR-guided focused ultrasound.

“The ability to understand the human brain and its relation to cognitive function and dysfunction requires precise knowledge of its structure, function and dynamics,” Fred Steinberg, MD, University MRI medical director, said in a statement. “As a result of this agreement, FAU researchers and their collaborators will be able to use our machines to get a very unique glimpse into the human brain for a wide range of projects.”

J.A. Scott Kelso, PhD, founder of FAU’s Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, said this agreement will include numerous types of collaborative research.

“In addition to basic research in cognitive, behavioral and affective neuroscience, our human brain imaging research will most likely include studies on autism, traumatic brain injury, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s, and a host of other conditions related to aging and pain,” Kelso said in the same statement. “This partnership will offer many opportunities for translational research and applications such as biomarkers, drug testing, and brain-computer interfaces.”

This is a working relationship that goes back quite some time; University MRI’s first imaging center opened in 1998 on FAU’s campus in Boca Raton, Fla.