McCausland Center for Brain Imaging Center

In April 2006, the McCausland Center for Brain Imaging opened at Palmetto Health Richland, bringing the first high-field strength, 3 Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner to central South Carolina. The Center was launched with public and private funds totaling $12 million and named in honor of University of South Carolina (USC) alumnus and donor Peter J. McCausland. The McCausland Center focuses on memory and attention, detection of deception, and brain stroke. USC researchers and Palmetto Health clinicians use the scanner for clinical research and patient care.

The first project of Health Sciences South Carolina, the McCausland Center is a true partnership where researchers and clinicians work together on clinical diagnoses to help the community in the present and the future. USC President Harris Pastides says “The statewide center is the impetus for an industrial cluster in the lucrative multidisciplinary field of brain imaging, integrating the intellectual resources of USC and MUSC, which houses South Carolina’s only other 3T MRI. These new physical resources allow the two universities to compete internationally for funding, projects and people.”

The 3T MRI is the most advanced technology of its kind in the world. The high-field magnet produces images with clarity and detail to a degree never before possible, resulting in increased diagnostic confidence and better patient outcomes. 3 Tesla MRI also delivers the most comprehensive applications in the industry, providing unprecedented diagnostic capabilities for the assessment of anatomy, morphology, physiology, and function. It also can be used to evaluate other conditions, such as cardiac and vascular disease, musculoskeletal disorders, abdominal conditions, and neurological conditions. Its potential for improving the lives of South Carolinians is unlimited.