OP-MEG joins the Melbourne Brain Centre Imaging Unit!
We are excited to announce that the Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences application to the 2025 MCRIP Growth Pool has been successful, securing support for the operation of the Optically-Pumped Magnetoencephalography (OP-MEG) facility within the Melbourne Brain Centre Imaging Unit (MBCIU) platform. This major investment reflects the University’s commitment to strengthening world-class research infrastructure and positions our community at the forefront of brain imaging innovation.
OP-MEG is a new generation of magnetoencephalography that uses lightweight, wearable sensors to measure the tiny magnetic fields generated by brain activity. Unlike traditional MEG systems, which rely on bulky cryogenic equipment and restrict movement, OP-MEG operates at room temperature and allows participants to move naturally. This opens new possibilities for studying brain function in real-world scenarios, and makes the technology especially valuable for research involving people who struggle to sit still like children, certain clinical populations, and those with movement-related disorders.
By integrating OP-MEG into the MBCIU (already home to one of only two 7 Tesla MRI scanners in Australia and a state-of-the-art PET/CT system) the University will extend its imaging capabilities to capture brain activity with unparalleled temporal precision alongside ultra-high-resolution structural and molecular data. This synergy will empower groundbreaking studies into cognition, memory, development, and mental health, and foster collaborations across neuroscience, psychiatry, engineering, and beyond.
The success of this application marks an important milestone for the Cognitive Neuroscience Hub, the Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, and the wider research community. With MCRIP’s support, and as part of the University’s strategy to build a strong and sustainable research infrastructure ecosystem, the OP-MEG initiative will help unlock new insights into how the human brain works, in health, in disease, and in everyday life.