Beginning a new study at the BIRC:

New Users:

Required Information for a New Study:

Click here for New User and other forms: forms (zipped as one file)

Please submit this information to Carmen Barclay via e-mail at clb122@pitt.edu to begin a new study at the BIRC.

Once the forms are received, the Technical Director (Dr. Kwan-Jin Jung) and the Safety Officer (Scott Kurdilla) will review the study and approve. Once they have given their approval for the study to be conducted at the BIRC, you will receive a welcome letter from Carmen with details about your new BIRC account.

BIRC Policies and Procedures

The Brain Imaging Research Center has been quickly moving towards being fully operational and investigators are invited to try using the facility. BIRC has the capability to run most fMRI studies. The Siemens scanner is working well, as is the experimental control system, and the computer system.

If you need time on the scanner to test out a paradigm, we will soon initiate a system for requesting a limited amount of scanner time to do so.

Whether you are new or experienced at fMRI, the staff at BIRC should be able to show you how to get started quickly. Your first point of contact should be Dr. Kwan-Jin Jung ( kjj1@pitt.edu), the BIRC MR Scientist, who is extremely capable and experienced at running fMRI studies. The MR Research Technologists, Scott Kurdilla ( kurdilla@pitt.edu) and Deborah Viszlay ( dev8@pitt.edu), may also be of help. Finally, the BIRC Systems Administrator may be able to help with computer issues, including setting up accounts and software.

Before running a study, you will need to provide BIRC with a copy of your approved IRB protocol and consent form that includes the use of the new imaging center. BIRC personnel will assist investigators with completing an IRB application, and will describe the technical specifications of the scanning procedure in language suitable for the IRB application.

Also, we would like each of you to leave with MR Research Technologists a copy of the signed informed consent for every participant who goes in the scanner. These procedures will help ensure the safety of human subject participation at BIRC.