The Center for Clinical Imaging Research (CCIR) is a ~9,000 square feet centralized, state-of-the-art imaging facility located on the 10th floor of the Barnes-Jewish Hospital's West Pavillion on the south campus of the Washington University Medical Center. The CCIR is formally part of MIR (Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology).

The CCIR provides a full range of biomedical imaging services to support clinical research projects. These services include: (1) Pre-study services that help investigators design, set up and kick off the study; (2) Coordinating services, including scanning, that provide assistance in executing, monitoring and evaluating the study; and, (3) Information Technology management services to handle, track and process imaging data.

The CCIR can interface with any research group at WUSM that requires state-of-the-art hardware and assistance utilizing biomedical imaging technologies. The center is available to all departments and investigators, including external research collaborators and pharmaceutical companies.

When a research proposal is submitted to the CCIR, it will first be reviewed by the CCIR Operations Team. Once feasibility of the study is confirmed, the proposal is forwarded to the CCIR Executive Committee for the final review and approval. Once approval is obtained, a full blown research proposal is prepared and integrated into the CCIR information management system. During this second stage of the review, the investigator works closely with CCIR staff to refine and optimize the study protocol. Once the protocol is finalized and IRB approval is obtained, research subjects can be scheduled.

Data from research studies/projects conducted in the CCIR can be obtained on disk, or they can be routed directly to any one of a number of locations specified by the principle investigator. All data will automatically be routed to the CCIR data repository, as a safeguard and backup measure, possibly to be used for data mining at a later date.

Yes, routine data proccessing/analysis services can be obtained thru the CCIR. Costs for these services will be based on an hourly rate and will depend upon the details and complexity of the request.

Yes. Each imaging modality has a standard set of QC/QA procedures which are executed on a regular basis by the CCIR staff. In most cases, these tests verify that the hardware meet the minimum level of performance as defined by the vendor. Additional tests deemed important by the research investigator can be integrated into a research protocol.

There are three types of billable items in the CCIR:  (1) the room/scanner rates;  (2) procedures performed by the CCIR staff; and, (3) consumables. There are three rate categories – government, clinical and industrial. (Note: government rates will be billed if pilot funds are being used.) The exact cost of conducting research in the CCIR will depend heavily upon the number and type of procedures being executed. In all cases, fees for using CCIR resources have undergone careful scrutiny to provide the lowest cost possible.