KUALA LUMPUR: The setting up of the Universiti Malaya (UM) Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Research Centre is among initiatives to rank UM as among the world’s top 100 universities within two years.
Currently, the UM is ranked 114th in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings.
Higher Education Deputy Minister Datuk Dr Mary Yap Kain Ching said the establishment of the first research centre of its kind in the country enabled researchers to carry out full comprehensive research in MRI.
“This is so much in line with the (higher education) blueprint to produce students of quality and balanced with holistic entrepreneurship features. UM is now ranked 114th (in QS World University Rankings) and the university has been improving year after year,” she said after launching the research centre at the UM Medical Faculty today.
Also present were UM deputy vice-chancellor (Academic and International) Prof Datuk Dr Awang Bulgiba Awang Mahmud and the Dean of the Medical Faculty Prof Datuk Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman.
“Through the state-of-the-art MRI system at the centre, researchers are able to conduct high-level research in the field of radiology. For the Faculty of Medicine, as a teaching hospital, this facility is crucial in enabling us to be on par with foreign countries while teaching undergraduate medical students and radiographers, as well as specialists from the Health Ministry who also train here,” said Dr Adeeba.
She noted the UM MRI Research Centre was designed to provide MRi images for both human and animal subjects.
The research centre was established using a RM12.2 million High Impact Research Grant allocation from UM that was awarded by the Higher Education Ministry.
The research centre will also be used for routine MRI scan of patients from the UM Medical Centre as well as teaching and training activities for students and university staff.
The centre uses the MRI MAGNETOM Prisma model supplied by Siemens Healthcare Malaysia which is the most advanced MRI system, enabling researchers to use the latest techniques such as susceptibility weighted imaging, dynamic angiography and diffusion spectrum imaging. - Bernama