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UAB Institutional Research Core Program Office of Research

UAB Institutional Research Core Program

  • Research MRI Core
  • Research MRI Core
  • Research MRI Core
  • Research MRI Core
  • Research MRI Core
  • Research MRI Core

Policies and Procedures

  • Training

    The CINL provides Safety Training and Operationally Certified training for faculty, students, and study personnel that utilize the UAB Highlands MRI facility.

    All individuals who access the facility must undergo the in-person Safety Training and orientation and complete the module hosted on LMS.

    Those who would like to become operationally certified will need to practice their labs’ protocol(s) under the supervision of an Operationally Certified person, and complete the in-person observation, and complete the test hosted on LMS.

    Please schedule all training with the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    ONLY Screened and MRI Safety trained individuals are permitted to enter MRI Zone III. You can download, print, and complete the MRI Safety Screening Form here, and the clothing safety declination form here to provide to research staff.

  • Participant Screening

    Before beginning a scan, a participant must be taken through the MRI Patient Screening Form . This screening form is mandatory each time a participant comes in for a scan regardless of whether they have filled out the form previously. Any risk factors discovered during the screening process will need to be reported and approved through the implant report and inquiry protocol before scanning.


    Prescreening

    When performing MRI studies, participant exclusion criteria related to MRI safety are usually included in the Human Subjects Protocol submitted to the UAB Institutional Review Board (IRB). We also encourage researchers to use the MRI Patient Screening Form as a tool to prescreening.

  • Implant Report and Inquiry

    Safety is the top priority for everyone involved in MRI research at UAB. If initial screening indicates a research participant has medical implants of any kind, then these implants must be reported to the MRI safety officer. Implant reporting instructions can be found here.

  • Anonymous Over-reads

    All new studies are subject to anonymous over-reads unless Radiology has granted a specific exception for that study. Over-read fees are included in the current billing structure.

    For a scan to have an anonymous over-read, the CINL program director must order an accession number. User labs must provide the time and date of the scan, the participant ID, the FAKE MRN (3620982), and the IRB number of the study.

    Given the large volume of scans during the work week and on weekends, CINL will need 24 hours’ notice on weekdays and 48 hours’ notice for weekends to order accession numbers. Any scan on a Monday will need an accession number requested the Friday before at noon.


    Please email the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. using the following format (numbers provided are examples only):

    Study Name: P19123

    Date and Time: 10/1/2025 1:00pm

    Participant ID: YOURSTUDY_1234_V04

    IRB: 300012345

    Fake MRN: 3620982

    In the event of an incidental finding, Radiology will communicate with the user lab PI with further steps through email.

  • Scheduling

    Procedures for scheduling scans:

    You can schedule scans at any time of day and every day of the week. All RMRIC equipment is booked through FBS. Please refer to the FBS Scheduling How-To Guide. This tutorial hosted on Campus Learning is also an excellent resource.

    Siemens Magetom Prisma Availability:

    • Weekdays 11:30 AM until 7:00 PM: Standard research hours. MR tech support can be provided to work with a trained individual for the study. Schedule scan time using the CINL Prisma calendars and include “tech needed” to request a technologist.
    • Weekdays 7:00 PM through the night until 6:30 AM: At least one MRI safety trained individual and one certified Prisma operations specialist must be present. There is no tech coverage after
    • Weekdays (early hours): 10:30 AM until 11:30 AM: User labs must book this time slot 8 business days before their intended scan. Tech support is available.
    • Weekends: The Prisma 24 hours a day on Saturday and Sunday, but there is no tech coverage during the weekend.

    GE SIGNA Premier Availability:

    • Weekdays: The Premier is available on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30 PM until 6:30 PM. User labs must book their GE Premier time slot 8 business days in advance of their intended scan. Tech support is provided for all scans on the Premier. Please email the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any questions you might have about the Prisma, the Premier, or any other resources and equipment we offer.
  • Billing and Cancellations
    Billing and Cancellations


    Cancellations

    Failure to cancel a scan through FBS and through an email to the ListServ, will result in a charge to the allotted scan time.

    Please follow these instructions to subscribe to the ‘CINL-NOTICE’ listserv:

    Send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with the email body as sub cinl-notice. After which you’ll receive an email to confirm your email address. After confirming your email address, you would start receiving cancellation emails from others on the list as well as be able to send your own notifications.

    Please contact us for scheduling MRI research on other scanners in the Research MRI Core.