The Duke Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Center (DCMRC)
Established on September 1, 2001 the goal of this interdisciplinary center is to develop and provide world-class excellence in the field of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (CMR) for patient care, research, and education.
Clinical
The DCMRC was one of the first dedicated CMR programs in the world, and is currently one of the largest, performing ~4,500 clinical procedures per year. We provide the entire range of CMR services, including CMR stress-testing for the evaluation of coronary artery disease, the assessment of vascular disease (from carotid to peripheral arteries), and the evaluation of congenital heart disease (infants to adults).
Research
Center faculty have developed several advances in CMR, including, with Siemens scientists, the development of the Delayed Enhancement technique — arguably the single most important advance to propel CMR into widespread clinical use. Delayed Enhancement CMR detects injury to the heart and, crucially, can differentiate irreversible damage from damage that may recover with appropriate treatment. This knowledge provides essential guidance for many clinical decisions. Currently, our research interests are diverse and encompasses basic development of novel pulse sequences, work aimed at translating physiologic information into improved clinical care, and multi-center clinical trials.
Education
The DCMRC is committed to training of post-doctoral fellows in basic MR physics, clinical fellows, and physicians interested in cardiovascular MRI. Many of the former trainees have gone on to obtain faculty appointments at major academic centers internationally, and several are Directors of CMR at their respective institutions (Alumni).
Accreditation
The DCMRC is accredited with the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) in the area of MRA (magnetic resonance angiography) and cardiovascular MRI. Accreditation by the IAC indicates that DCMRC has undergone an intensive application and review process and is found to be in compliance with the published Standards, thus demonstrating our ongoing commitment to providing quality patient care in MRI.