Research Facilities

The University of Aberdeen has been at the forefront of MRI research for over 30 years. In 1979 we built a whole body scanner which was used to perform the world's first clinical whole-body scan in in August 1980. Our facilities have continued to be updated and expanded to include 3T Achieva clinical MRI and a 4.7T small bore preclinical MRI. Both are dedicated research scanners but with the NHS using the clinical scanner on a regular basis.

Our clinical PET scanner (a GE Discovery STe PET/CT) is located in a purpose built facility, adjacent to the tracer development facility. This is an NHS facility with dedicated research sessions. A pre-clinical PET/CT scanner (GE eXplore Vista PET/CT), is used for pre-clinical and translational studies. The cyclotron facility contains a CTI RDS 111 cyclotron; a production area, with five hot cells, a quality control laboratory, and an aseptic dispensing area. This is located with the clinical PET/CT scanner in the John Mallard PET Centre and produces tracers for the clinical and pre-clinical PET scanners.

We have developed novel optical instrumentation for imaging the eye. The scanning laser opthalmscope (SLO) was designed and constructed in-house and is used for imaging various pathological conditions that are otherwise difficult to detect.

The NHS Grampian Nuclear Medicine Department has three dual headed gamma cameras two of which are used for brain SPECT (Siemens Symbia and e.cam) and carries out > 600 regional cerebral blood flow (HMPAO) SPECT studies in dementia per annum, as well as a smaller number of dopamine transporter (FP-CIT) studies in parkinsonian syndromes.

In addition to NHS use, these facilities are also used for research in Alzheimer's disease and FP-CIP in an incidence study of new parkinsonian disorders ongoing.