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10. Mar. 2025
The Multimodal and Functional Imaging Laboratory (MAFIL) at CEITEC Masaryk University is celebrating 10 years of full-scale MRI operation this year. Over the past decade, this shared scientific infrastructure has evolved into one of the most advanced facilities in the field of cutting-edge imaging techniques, supporting research in neuroscience, musculoskeletal studies, and oncology. To mark this milestone, the laboratory has gifted itself a state-of-the-art tool for its research and clinical imaging capabilities.
At the heart of MAFIL’s success lies its cutting-edge equipment and expert team. The laboratory is equipped with two MRI scanners that offer unique capabilities for imaging both the brain and the entire human body, as well as high-density EEG systems for non-invasive recording of brain activity. The facility also includes a wide range of accessories tailored for this technology including equipment for physiological monitoring and brain stimulation. Additionally, MAFIL offers equipment for non-invasive magnetic and electrical stimulation—transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) uses ultra-short, high-intensity magnetic pulses to target specific brain regions with remarkable precision, thanks to specialized coil designs and an MRI-based navigation system.
The history of MRI at CEITEC Masaryk University (MUNI) dates back to the year 2000, when it started developing at neuroimaging research departments at the Faculty of Medicine MUNI and St. Anne’s University Hospital in Brno. The vision of establishing a dedicated research laboratory equipped with MRI technology materialized with the development of the university campus in Brno-Bohunice. Since its first measurements in March 2015, MAFIL has grown rapidly. By the fall of the same year, it was already conducting ten times more research measurements than it was possible in hospital-based MRI facilities, thanks to continuous modernization of its equipment and the expanding expertise of its team. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic posed significant challenges, but the laboratory successfully overcame them while maintaining its high research standards.
One of MAFIL’s key defining features is its open-access approach. In addition to being actively involved in education through excursions, workshops, and university courses, MAFIL is the first university-based MRI research facility in the Czech Republic to provide open access to researchers, companies, and international partners. This open environment has enabled the creation of numerous international collaborations. A standout example is the Sleep Deprivation and Structural Fluctuations in White Matter project, conducted in cooperation with Prof. Paus from the University of Toronto. This study investigated how sleep deprivation affects brain structure in young men.
This year, MAFIL is set to make another significant contribution to the scientific community with the installation of the new MR Cima.X Fit scanner. "This cutting-edge 3T MRI scanner with the Gemini gradient system offers higher resolution and faster imaging. Moreover, the BioMatrix technology adapts to the measured individuals using sensors that monitor physiological processes," says Michal Mikl, head of the MAFIL shared laboratory.
By continuously upgrading its equipment with the latest technologies, MAFIL remains at the forefront of research and innovation.
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