Spanning Florida Atlantic’s Boca Raton and Jupiter campuses, the enhanced system allows researchers to move seamlessly from lab-based studies to real-time human trials—dramatically shortening the path from discovery to patient care. In collaboration with regional hospitals and world-renowned research partners, Florida Atlantic is also leveraging this technology to train the next generation of health and science professionals. This milestone further establishes Florida Atlantic, an R1 research institution, as a national leader in neuroscience, innovation and translational medicine.

In a global first, Florida Atlantic University has unveiled an unprecedented research initiative uniting advanced MRI and focused ultrasound technologies into a single, preclinical and clinical research platform that promises to accelerate the pathway from scientific discovery to patient care. This state-of-the-art initiative at the Florida Atlantic NeuroInnovate Center empowers scientists to explore the brain and body with exceptional precision, advancing the understanding of complex neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and more. Integrating a comprehensive “bench-to-bedside” approach, the initiative will significantly accelerate the discovery, development and delivery of new treatments, ultimately transforming patient care.

“Never before has a single institution integrated preclinical and clinical imaging with focused ultrasound capabilities within one comprehensive, unified research environment,” said FAU President Adam Hasner. “This is far more than just a milestone for Florida Atlantic University. This groundbreaking initiative positions our region and state at the forefront of innovation in research, education and health care delivery. We are excited to lead the way in bringing revolutionary research and technologies to the frontlines of medicine.”

Researchers will now have access to a fully integrated system that allows them to study disease mechanisms, test treatments in real time, and apply those therapies directly to patients. It begins with the preclinical MRI, designed for research using translational models. Once a treatment shows promise, it can move seamlessly to human trials using the clinical MRI system that guides and monitors therapies in a safe, controlled setting.

“These machines are more than just high-tech – they represent some of the most advanced tools available to modern science and medicine,” said Gregg Fields, Ph.D., vice president for research at FAU. “What we’ve built is a truly integrated research platform – one that enables us to examine everything from molecular changes in clinical models to real-time treatment responses in human patients. The impact this will have on fast-tracking discoveries across disciplines is hard to overstate. This is not just the next step in medical innovation – it’s the future, and it’s happening right here at Florida Atlantic University.”

Focused ultrasound uses precise acoustic energy, like sunlight through a magnifying glass, to target tissues safely. Multiple beams converge at one point, producing mechanical or thermal effects. This non-invasive, rapidly advancing therapy has growing clinical uses in a wide range of diseases including neurological disorders, cancer, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, and pain management.

Through strategic partnerships with Delray Medical Center, Boca Raton Regional Hospital – part of Baptist Health – and the Thomas H. Corey VA Medical Center, FAU researchers and physicians will leverage the Florida Atlantic NeuroInnovate Center to tackle a range of neurological conditions. This initiative builds on Florida Atlantic’s 2023 collaboration with Insightec and Delray Medical Center, which introduced focused ultrasound into the clinical setting to treat patients with movement and cognitive disorders.

“As a neurosurgeon, I’m truly excited about the potential of this integrated system at Florida Atlantic to elevate patient care,” said Lloyd Zucker, M.D., medical director of neurosurgery at Palm Beach Health Network and a clinical research professor at Florida Atlantic. “The precision and noninvasive capabilities of technologies like focused ultrasound are revolutionizing how we approach neurological diseases. We’re not just imagining the future of medicine – we’re making it happen.”

“This level of imaging and intervention opens the door to understanding and treating brain disorders in ways that were unimaginable even a decade ago,” said Michael Dobbs, M.D., chair of the Clinical Neurosciences Department and the inaugural FairfaxWood Chair of Clinical Neurosciences in the FAU Schmidt College of Medicine. “We can assess brain structure, monitor real-time blood flow, and track treatment effects – all with extraordinary precision. The implications for disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s are profound.”

“This pioneering system will also serve as a cornerstone for educating the next generation of physicians, scientists and biomedical engineers,” said Lewis S. Nelson, M.D., dean of the Schmidt College of Medicine. “By offering an immersive, hands-on learning environment, it will empower future health professionals to lead with innovation and shape the future of medicine.”

The new platform continues the ongoing expansion of Florida Atlantic University’s academic and research mission. Designed to reshape the way clinicians and researchers treat, understand and study complex brain diseases, this unique system integrates multiple technologies to provide unmatched diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities. The Florida Atlantic NeuroInnovate Center includes the SIGNA™ Premier 3.0T MRI from GE Healthcare, the NordicNeuroLab fMRI System for functional neuroimaging, and the BioSpec Maxwell 70/17 and 94/17 preclinical MRI systems. The addition of a low-frequency focused ultrasound unit (Insightec Prime 220 V3) creates a unified environment that supports everything from preclinical investigations to FDA-regulated clinical trials and patient care. The integration of the NordicNeuroLab fMRI system, in-scanner EEG, and Biopac physiological monitoring tools will give students, residents and faculty unmatched exposure to emerging research and clinical tools.

Representing the culmination of years of collaboration across disciplines and institutions and marking the beginning of a new era in medical science, Florida Atlantic University is poised to deliver a future in which disease is not only better understood but more effectively treated – from “bench to the bedside.”