Facilities
	MRI Scanning The CfN utilizes MRI scanners within the Center for Advanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy (CAMRIS) in the Department of Radiology. CAMRIS currently operates two whole-body human MRI scanners fully dedicated for research protocols, a 1.5 Tesla Siemens Sonata and a 3.0 Tesla Siemens Trio. Extensive expertise in pulse programming, radiofrequency coil design, and pulse sequence design is available within the CfN and the Department of Radiology. Access to research scanners requires regulatory approval and scheduling through the CfN on-line calendar. The calendar website is http://cfn.upenn.edu/calendar/ Please contact the calendar administrator, Margaret Ryan, to set up a new account once your protocol has been approved by Penn's IRB and the CAMRIS Committee. Phone: 215-614-0630 E-mail: ryanm@mail.med.upenn.edu. Stimulus and Response monitoring Both 1.5T and 3T research scanners are equipped with stimulus delivery and monitoring systems for fMRI research. These include Epson 8100 3-LCD projectors with Buhl long-throw lenses for rear-view/rear-projection onto Mylar screens. Video signals are carried into the magnet room using a Lightwave FiberLynx optical-fiber VGA connection. Both the projector and the FiberLynx units are housed in custom RF shield boxes with filtered power receptacles. Images are viewed through mirrors mounted on the head coils. Audio stimuli may be presented via air-conduction headphones available on both the Siemens Sonata and Trio 1.5T and 3T systems, or alternatively via Avotec audio systems Responses are monitored using FORP fiberoptic button boxes installed at 1.5T and 3T. Low pass filters in the magnet room penetration panels allow custom interfacing of other stimulus and monitoring equipment using DB-9 connectors. Data Analysis The CfN data analysis clusters, located on 3 West Gates and also Room B19, Stemmler Hall Basement, houses a total of 12 public workstations connected to 40+ CPUs running 32-bit x 86 (Linux) gigabit networking cluster in the closet and downstairs lab with a high-speed fiber connection between the two labs. There is 21.5 terabyte online disk strorage in 3 RAID arrays to provide online storage, with backup via a 24-slot LTO Ultrium-3 tape library for periodic full backups and nightly incremental backups. We also have a 10-slot SDLT tape library. Software (and expertise) to run a broad range of data preprocessing and analysis procedures is available, including tiered random effects group analyses, nonparametric permutation testing, time series extraction, and both automated and manual segmentation into regions of interest, Brodmann areas, and vascular distributions. A variety of software packages are installed and supported, including VoxBo (developed at Penn), Matlab, IDL, SPM, FSL, AFNI, AIR, Brain Voyager, SNAP, FreeSurfer and others. Each public space has a 50-inch plasma screen for meetings and presentations. A public (PennNet) server, including web service, mailing lists, ftp download, source code management, calendaring, database hosting and mediawiki-based wikis also serves the CfN community. Additional capabilities for large-scale processing are available in the form of a 16 Xeon processor cluster with 2 TB RAID that is optimized for cutting edge methods, including high-resolution spatial normalization, population-specific template construction, deformation/tensor-based morphometry, and quantitation of cortical geometry and shape, as well as customized analysis of pediatric and elderly populations, brains with lesions, and diffusion tensor images. (Gee Lab) Mock Scanner Construction of the CfN's mock scanner is complete. It is located in Room B19, Stemmler Hall Basement and is maintained by the CfN. Fabricated from our old GE scanner shell, this device closely replicates the subject's experience during fMRI including a realistic scanner face and bore, head coil, stimulus presentation and response, scanner sounds, and triggering with each mock TR. Subject head movements are monitored with an inertial device and displayed in real time. This resource can be reserved by calling 215-615-4763.