UHS and Binghamton University team up to advance MRI

The strong connection between UHS and Binghamton University is yielding many positive advantages for people in the Southern Tier, especially in terms of access to quality healthcare and academic research.  The latest example of this long-standing connection is the creation of the Binghamton Brain and Body Imaging Research Center and the addition of exciting new equipment to the diagnostic arsenal of physicians and educators in the region.

The two organizations have entered into a partnership to bring a state-of-the-art magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner to the Southern Tier of New York. The $2.6 million MRI, a Siemens MAGNETOM Prisma 3 Tesla scanner, is located at the UHS Vestal campus, making Broome County home to one of the most advanced MRI technologies in the region. The project is now live and available to serve the community’s health needs and conduct path-breaking research.

On Thursday, August 24, UHS President and CEO John Carrigg and BU President Harvey Stenger toured the newly opened MRI scanning center.

This venture enables UHS to offer cutting-edge clinical diagnostics for patients facing a wide range of illnesses.  Clinical applications of the scanner include diagnosis of brain disorders, cardiovascular disease and orthopedic injuries. It also offers patients the ability to stay right here in the Southern Tier to receive cardiac MRIs, a service previously available only in large metro areas such as Syracuse, Rochester and New York City.

This addition brings Binghamton University faculty and other partners together to conduct academic and clinical research in areas such as biomedical research–particularly neurosciences and computer science. Research applications include innovative studies of the human brain, which will deepen a scientific understanding of brain disorders, from Alzheimer’s disease to autism.

“As the two largest employers in the region, UHS and Binghamton University have a history of working together to serve and invest in the community,” said John M. Carrigg, president and chief executive officer of UHS. “This partnership between UHS and the University, and specifically this scanner, will provide UHS physicians and patients with the latest, most advanced imaging technology available today, and open new avenues of research for faculty.”

MRI-centered research is a cross-disciplinary pursuit that blends expertise in physics, anatomy, physiology, neuroscience and advanced data processing sciences. The center will enable faculty to expand cross-disciplinary collaborations and work with UHS physicians to address new research questions that MRI technology can answer.

“This public-private partnership will benefit the community by providing the most advanced imaging technology in the region,” said Binghamton University President Harvey Stenger. “This project is in alignment with the research strategy outlined by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul in her latest State of the State message, and will enhance our ability to attract external funding, as well as build research partnerships with industry and other universities.” 

The Binghamton Brain and Body Imaging Research Center originated with a 2021 partnership between the University and UHS, and is led by J. David Jentsch, professor of Psychology at the University.

“About 50 years ago, MRI was invented by State University of New York researchers,” Mr. Jentsch said.  “Now we are bringing a 21st-century version of the technology to the Southern Tier.  It will have a transformative impact on our ability to make scientific discoveries that advance human health and to offer the most sophisticated training opportunities to Binghamton University students.”

The center will make both organizations more competitive in attracting and retaining physicians and research-active faculty, and represents a new avenue to kindle collaborations between UHS physicians and University faculty working on research projects that advance the understanding of human health.

For more information, visit nyuhs.org and binghamton.edu/centers/imaging.