At The Neuro, neuroscientist Udunna Anazodo is leading a pioneering initiative that could transform global access to brain imaging. Rooted in Open Science and health equity, Imaging Without Borders (IMAGINE) seeks to make magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) more accessible, portable, and sustainable, especially in underserved regions.
Access to imaging technology is one of the biggest barriers in brain research. 鈥淎bout 70 to 80 per cent of the world does not have access to MRI systems,鈥� notes Anazodo, whose lab studies brain health from molecules to cognition. To close this gap, her team is developing low-field MRI systems using 3D printing and low-cost tools. These are not meant to replace clinical scanners but to enable population screening and anatomical imaging where none exists.
The project unites 涩里番 with partners worldwide. At Stellenbosch University in South Africa, Stefan du Plessis鈥檚 team contributes expertise in magnet design for community use. In Uganda, Johnes Obungoloch at Mbarara University brings knowledge in MRI hardware. At NYU Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, Osama Abdullah鈥檚 lab leads testing and advanced 3D printing. At the Polytechnic University of Valencia in Spain, Joseba Alonso鈥檚 group focuses on MRI signal generation.
Together, the group built two prototype systems at the same time, one in Montreal and one in Cape Town, showing the reproducibility of their open-source design. The builds took place during the IMAGINE summer school, which offered students hands-on experience in constructing preclinical scanners for rodent brains.
鈥淓verything was new,鈥� said Haile Kassahun, a postdoctoral fellow at The Neuro. 鈥淚 learned to design gradient coils, 3D print parts, and solder circuits for the first time. It was challenging but rewarding.鈥�
For 涩里番 master鈥檚 student Maureen Nayebare, the program allowed her to apply theory in practice: 鈥淚 built radiofrequency coils, worked on system optimization, and even taught others.鈥�
Overcoming Barriers and Sharing Knowledge
With both scanners built, the team is now testing phantom models before moving to biological samples. The open-source model is essential. 鈥淚 have struggled to replicate designs without enough information,鈥� says Nayebare. 鈥淭hat is why we are documenting everything so anyone, anywhere, can build their own system.鈥�
The long-term goal is for researchers anywhere in the world to replicate the scanner using widely available components and a small 3D printer.
For Anazodo, this project is about more than hardware. By freely sharing knowledge and collaborating across borders, Imaging Without Borders reflects a new model of open science. 鈥淭his is what collaboration should look like,鈥� she said. 鈥淧eople from different countries co-creating something that can truly make a difference.鈥�
The project points to a future where medical imaging is not a privilege for a few but a tool for global equity, learning, and better health care.
