Welcome!
The Henry H. Wheeler, Jr. Brain Imaging Center (BIC) at the University of California, Berkeley is a campus-wide resource affiliated with the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute that supports advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technologies dedicated to basic and clinical brain research.
MRI uses the interactions between magnetic fields and the spins of the nucleus in an atom to generate images. MRI is non-invasive and does not use any ionizing radiation. It can produce images of the anatomy and physiological functions of the brain and body.
We are located in the Li Ka Shing Center on the UC Berkeley campus. BIC operates as a recharge facility that is open to all on-campus researchers and to certain off-campus entities subject to availability and regulatory approvals. The recharge rate can be found here. Our facilities include:
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The Siemens Prisma 3T MRI scanner. It is primarily configured for structural and functional brain imaging.
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The NexGen 7T MRI scanner. It is based on the Siemens 7T Terra platform with experimental high-performance insert head gradients and up to 128 channel receivers.
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The GE 750w 3T MRI scanner. It is a wide-bore scanner with a bore size larger than typical scanners. It is not equipped for fMRI scans, but it is suitable for anatomical scans of the brain and body.
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The Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation Facility (NIBSF) has equipment and accessories for transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). There are two shared TMS devices that can produce single pulses or repetitive pulse protocols used to manipulate cortical plasticity. There is also a neuronavigation system to individualize TMS target location based on the subject’s MRI image.
See below for more information about our specific machines and resources, and how to access them.
