Metabolic Imaging Core

The MGH Metabolic Imaging Core (MMIC) offers specialized imaging techniques including high-resolution soft tissue magnetic resonance imagining (MRI), magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), quantitative computed tomography (QCT), and ultrasound.

Personnel/Contact Information:

Director: Borek Foldyna, M.D.
Email: bfoldyna@mgh.harvard.edu

Associate Director: Eva Ratai, Ph.D
Email: eratai@mgh.harvard.edu

Other Staff:

Core Manager: Marilyn Galdámez
Phone: (617) 724-0548
Email: megaldamez@mgh.harvard.edu 

Research Technician: Ivanna Zorgno
Email: izorgno@mgh.harvard.edu 

Facilities and Equipment:

Location: Mass General Imaging - Boston, 55 Fruit Street, Yawkey 6E, Boston, MA 02114.

Major Equipment: The MMIC has access to state-of-the-art technology in diagnostic imaging available at the Massachusetts General Hospital main campus, MGH Yawkey Center for Outpatient Care, and Martino's Center for Biomedical Imaging. Available equipment for research imaging includes:

  • 3T Siemens Vida
  • 1.5T Siemens Avanto
  • 3T Siemens Prisma
  • 3T General Electric Discovery
  • 1.5T General Electric Signa
  • General Electric Revolution CT 256-slice
  • General Electric LOGIQ E10 Series Ultrasound

Core Services:

These are the most common services we provide our users, which can be adapted to meet the needs of various studies.

MRI and MRS:

  • MRS of muscle, liver, marrow and adipose tissue with analyses for lipid profiling
  • Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) for assessment of liver fibrosis
  • Quantification of areal and volumetric visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue
  • Liver MRI for assessment of steatosis and fibrosis (using Perspectum Multiscan protocol)
  • Brain MRI
  • Additional custom MRI protocols available for NORCH-related research

CT:

  • QCT - helical using single- or dual-energy CT for volumetric acquisition of bone mineral density
  • QCT single-slice for quantification of visceral and subcutaneous fat, cross-sectional muscle area
  • CT analysis for body composition performed with deep learning algorithm (ideal for medium or large-scale studies or datasets requiring short-term execution)

Ultrasound:

  • Quantitative ultrasound 
  • Shear wave elastography (SWE) for assessment of liver fibrosis and steatosis

Positron emission tomography (PET) :

  • PET*
  • PET/CT*
  • PET/MRI*

* Services offered through MGH Gordon PET Core.

Individual consultation and training services:

  • Imaging analysis, including quantitative interpretation of imaging data
  • Image/Data Transfers
  • H-MRS for lipid profiling (intramyocellular lipid, intrahepatic lipid, marrow fat)
  • Help with study design and methods to include available Core techniques in human research studies.
  • Tutorials and workshops in imaging techniques used in metabolic investigation

Getting Started:

To access the core, please contact Dr. Foldyna by email at bfoldyna@mgh.harvard.edu.
Departmental Web Link:
https://dev.norch.org/center-cores/metabolic-imaging-core/