Erasmus University Rotterdam, Erasmus MC and TU Delft (Convergence) have recently unveiled a dedicated 3 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner facility. This scanner, which has functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) capabilities, enables the real-time research of brain activity studies by researchers.

The new facility further fosters interdisciplinary collaboration in neuroscience, business and psychology, and offers insights into decision-making, ethics and market predictions. From understanding societal trust to exploring the effects that digital tools have on memory, the new scanner facility speeds up innovation, which can lead to positive impact for business and societal well-being.

A wide range of researchers can now use the dedicated 3 Tesla MRI scanner facility located at the Erasmus MC, including those from the Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences (ESSB) and RSM. Researchers can use the scanner for both functional and structural brain research. For example, studying brain activity during cognitive tasks that involve making choices, and analysing brain structure about psychological factors, individual characteristics and skills.

Thanks to the cooperation between the various faculties and the Erasmus MC, the dedicated facility makes MRI scans accessible to researchers during regular business hours. This significantly lowers the threshold for conducting neurocognitive studies.

fMRI: exploring the relationship between brain and behaviour

While the structural MRI scanner mainly maps the grey and white matter in the brain, fMRI scans enable researchers to study brain activity during cognitive tasks, such as decision-making. In other words, researchers can observe a brain in real-time to see which areas of the brain are activated during a task and how those areas communicate with each other. This technique stimulates collaboration among disciplines, including business administration, economics, psychology and neuroscience.

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