Enhancing an Imaging Core at the University of Texas at Austin

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal requests funds to complete construction of a new home for the Imaging Research Center at the University of Texas at Austin. This center is currently located several miles from the main campus, which limits its effectiveness and availability. The proposed project would move the Imaging Research Center to a space within the newly constructed Norman Hackerman Building, located at the center of the UT Austin campus. The new location would allow the installation of additional imaging resources, including several imaging systems for small animals, as well as incorporating it more centrally into the biomedical research community. The new center will be directly connected to the building's vivarium, providing an optimal setup for animal imaging. In addition, the project would provide space for a newly purchased 3 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging system, which would support a broad range of imaging projects in humans and other species. The Norman Hackerman Building, which is replacing the Experimental Science Building of 1950, will provide UT Austin with an advanced facility for research and education in the Life Sciences. The 293,768 gross square foot building will offer modern, technology-enabled seminar rooms and undergraduate teaching laboratories, as well as office and research laboratory space for cutting-edge academic programs, including the Institute for Neuroscience, the Center for Learning and Memory, the Section of Neurobiology, and Synthetic Organic Chemistry in addition to the Imaging Research Center. The building is located within two block of nearly every biomedical research program on the UT campus. Its design incorporates the state of the art in sustainable building practices and technologies. Imaging methods have become central to nearly every aspect of biomedical research, and the availability of new imaging techniques at UT Austin has the potential to greatly advance research on campus. UT Austin has particular strength in neuroscience and cancer research, both of which would greatly benefit from the proposed improvements.