To start using the preclinical imaging facilities at the Martinos Center:
- Make sure the proposed MRI procedures are covered in your MGH IACUC animal protocol. Note that if you will require a Martinos imaging technician to perform the imaging study you will need to add them to your IACUC animal protocol.
- Attend the MRI safety class offered every other week at the Martinos Center. The current safety class is offered through Zoom every second Wednesday at 9 am. Announcements for upcoming classes are sent to the MRI-SCAN mailing list. Sign up for the MRI-SCAN mailing list here (contact Grae Arabasz if needed for more details).
- Apply for a new Project Account
- Reserve time on the appropriate scanner schedule. Check out the scanner schedules to see what time slots are open. You may reserve up to five open slots for any one group in a one-month period. You may not reserve open slots more than 31 days in advance. Special requests should be sent to small-bore-time.
- There are animal surgery rooms adjacent to each scanner. If you will need to use the surgery room make sure to reserve the surgery room in addition to the scanner.
- If you have an existing Martinos Center project account, you can also apply for a regular scanner time slot by submitting a Scanner Time Request Form.
- Make sure to subscribe to the small-bore email list to receive scanner updates and scheduling information.
If you want to be trained to operate the scanner yourself you will also need to:
- Attend a 2-hour new preclinical user training session offered monthly (contact Chris Farrar to sign up).
- Operate the MRI scanner under supervision of an experienced user for at least 6 imaging sessions and pass a hands-on preclinical scanner operation and troubleshooting quiz.
- Apply for an Martinos Center scanner login account.
For imaging ex vivo tissue (if not already included in your IACUC protocol):
- You will need to submit a tissue form through Insight as detailed below.
- Login to Insight, click on “create protocol” in the left hand navigational panel (under “Animals”). The first form that comes up is the “Initial Review”. Check the second box in Question C and this brings up the Tissue form. The tissue form auto populates. If you have any questions you can contact Heidi Langendoen at HLANGENDOEN@mgh.harvard.edu.
