Lee Celebrates New UNLV Functional MRI Scanner She Secured Millions For, Boosting Brain Health Research
Watch and Download Video of Press Conference
LAS VEGAS, NV – Today, Congresswoman Susie Lee (NV-03) toured and highlighted UNLV’s new Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) machine, made possible through over $4.5 million in community project funding she helped secure. The fMRI scan can show which areas of the brain are most active during various activities, information most often used for planning brain surgery or similar procedures, and will boost UNLV’s research into brain health.
“UNLV’s Division of Research is simply incredible. The addition of this fMRI — the first dedicated to research at a university in our state — will significantly expand their neuroscience research capabilities,” said Congresswoman Susie Lee. “I’m proud to have secured millions of dollars in federal funding to make this scanner possible, and I look forward to seeing how it will strengthen research and enhance training for medical and health physics students here in southern Nevada.”
“This will pay dividends for years to come as we advance research into human wellness, brain health, and learning new ways to support the aging population of this country. All good science is team science, and as a university this fMRI facility will help our world-class researchers perform cutting-edge work that will lift up our community. On behalf of UNLV, I want to thank Congresswoman Susie Lee who helped secure essential funding for this initiative and made this vision a reality for our campus,” said Chris Heavey, Ph.D., UNLV Interim President.
“This fMRI machine, which is the first of its kind in Nevada dedicated to university research, is essential to brain research because it enables precise visualization of the brain as it functions and is twice as powerful as a standard MRI machine. This opens up research we couldn’t otherwise perform. It is critical in advancing health outcomes for ongoing brain health, Alzheimer's research, and other collaborations with private medical providers and research companies. It is also so much more than a research tool. The impact of the fMRI will provide unique education opportunities, as we give our students training opportunities that they could not have unless they were in the workforce,” said David Hatchett, Ph.D., UNLV Vice President for Research and Professor.
The fMRI machine is the first in Nevada dedicated solely to university research, providing UNLV’s faculty with a valuable resource to advance the field of neuroscience, strengthening research and enhancing training for medical and health physics students.
As southern Nevada’s only voice on the House Appropriations Committee, the committee in charge of federal spending, Congresswoman Lee is committed to bringing back federal dollars to southern Nevada. Lee is making sure southern Nevadans are fully aware of the opportunities available to them so that Nevada gets its fair share of federal resources. More information on this project can be found here.
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