Overview

The needs of the patient drive research at Mayo Clinic. In the Department of Radiology, this motivation translates into new imaging techniques, innovative diagnostic tools and leading-edge interventions to improve patient care.

Radiologists engaged in research at Mayo Clinic strive to answer the unmet needs of each patient in their care. Examples include:

• Introducing technologies such as the first CT scanner in North America.
• Inventing the magnetic resonance (MR) elastography test for diagnosing liver pathology and thereby eliminating needle biopsy in most patients.
• Implementing minimally invasive MR-guided focused ultrasound as an alternative treatment to surgery for uterine fibroids.

Mayo Clinic remains an international leader in radiology research, focusing on patient engagement while training the next generation of radiology professionals. The Department of Radiology processes more than 2 million exams a year with more than $15 million in research expenditures. The department's staff consists of hundreds of radiologists, physicists and clinicians, with more than 50 focused on research spanning the biotechnology spectrum — from preclinical research to clinical trials.

Radiology investigators collaborate closely with clinical departments throughout Mayo Clinic to advance current methods of diagnosis by developing novel imaging technologies. This close integration makes it possible to quickly bring proven diagnostics and therapeutics into practice to improve patients' lives.

The broad scope and translational nature of the department's research has resulted in many of its investigators receiving significant federal and industry funding. Each year, Mayo Clinic's Department of Radiology is among the top 10 National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded radiology departments. The Academy for Radiology & Biomedical Imaging Research publishes a complete list of NIH funding to radiology departments nationwide.