The Norwegian Brain Initiative (NORBRAIN) is moving ahead with the construction of a new 7-tesla MRI facility at the campus of St. Olavs Hospital in Trondheim.
NORBRAIN plans to officially open the facility in May 2020, but a soft opening is planned for this month. It will allow researchers this month to see how the ultrahigh-field system performs human imaging. The 7-tesla scanner will be used for both clinical applications and neuroscience research.
The Research Council of Norway is the primary funding source for the 7-tesla device, along with the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), which partially funded the scanner's purchase and the construction of the building with St. Olavs Hospital.
In addition, Helse Midt-Norge RHF, Norway's central regional health authority, will provide funding for both research and clinical use, while NTNU will focus on research activity.
