U of M researchers advance ultrahigh field MRI technology

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (03/25/2025) — Researchers at the Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR) at the University of Minnesota Medical School have achieved a milestone in ultrahigh field MRI, demonstrating whole-brain, high-resolution anatomical and functional imaging at 10.5 Tesla — a pioneering effort pushing human imaging beyond 10 Tesla. The research team’s findings were recently published in Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Tesla measures a magnet’s strength — the more powerful the magnet, the higher the potential for obtaining sharper images. Imaging at such high magnetic fields is challenging because it requires the development of new technologies. CMRR researchers and collaborators from the New York University Grossman School of Medicine were able to demonstrate the potential of imaging the human brain at a previously unachievable level. The technology will enable researchers and doctors to see details that would otherwise be impossible or difficult to detect.

“Technologies developed in CMRR were in the past adapted commercially and have become the most advanced platforms for biomedical research and clinical diagnosis,” said Kamil Ugurbil, a professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School and the founding director of the CMRR. “Our new findings introduce new capabilities that are crucial for further advancing research on brain diseases.

Using a newly designed system, researchers captured detailed images of the brain with a much higher resolution than the current 7 Tesla MRI scanners, which were launched by CMRR investigators in 1995 and are currently available commercially. The results show that 10.5 Tesla provides much higher sensitivity, leading to higher precision that is necessary for understanding how the human brain works and diagnosing brain diseases.
 
The research team also published two earlier papers in February 2025 and September 2024 on this topic, with the cover page of the February 2025 issue featuring a 10.5 Tesla brain image. The new milestone with 10.5 Tesla brain imaging continues CMRR’s tradition of advancing MRI technology, with the potential to transform neuroscience and healthcare. 

Funding was provided by the National Institutes of Health, the BRAIN Initiative, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering. 

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