This scanner provides improvements in resolution that will allow us to see the brain in much higher definition whilst also reducing the time to collect the whole image.
Professor Steve Williams, Head of Neuroimaging at the School of Neuroscience.
13 February 2026
First in Europe: high-performance head-only scanner reveals ultra-fine brain detail
The Centre of Neuroimaging Sciences at the Denmark Hill Campus is now home to a new investigational GE HealthCare MAGNUS 3T MRI scanner, the first of its calibre in Europe. GE HealthCare is a 30 year-long industry-partner of researchers at King’s.
The MAGNUS system is one of the first high-performance head-only scanners, specialised for brain imaging. The scanner enables more accurate imaging and measurement of brain structures, such as mapping fine bundles of nerve fibres and white matter connecting different brain regions, grey matter and even the protective layer of cells between the brain and circulatory system (blood brain barrier). The new technology will allow scientists to push the boundaries of what is possible in neuroscience and psychiatric research, particularly regarding brain development and ageing, and in neurosurgical applications.
“Recognising the need for a true high-performance, head-only MR system to advance neuroscience research, GE HealthCare Technology and Innovation Center (HITC) developed the concept of a power efficient, high gradient amplitude and rapid scanning system using no more power than a clinical 3T MRI scanner,” commented Thomas Foo, PhD, Chief Scientist at GE HITC.
Previously unobtainable resolution
The GE HealthCare MAGNUS 3T achieves a level of detail up to 10 times finer than previous state-of-the-art commercial systems, measuring the brain in far tinier 3D volumes (voxels). Crucially, previous scanners relied on mathematical models that could only estimate broad tissue properties. The MAGNUS system allows researchers to unlock more advanced models and reveals specific features such as individual nerve fibre diameters and cell sizes.
New measurements possible
The resolution of MAGNUS allows researchers to probe microstructure information at a highly detailed level in human brains. This is an important development because precise quantification of axon (the fibres that transmit electrical signals between neurons) sizes is important in many areas of neuroscience, especially in brain development and ageing research.
This builds on work done by Dr Flavio Dell’Acqua, Reader in Translational Neuroimaging at King’s School of Neuroscience, who has pioneered advanced imaging methods to map and quantify brain connections as well as novel approaches to visualise distinct white matter pathways based on their axonal size.
Now he intends to use his recently developed methods combined with the imaging power of the MAGNUS 3T to push the measurement to even smaller white matter tracts and smaller axons. The enhanced precision will enable more accurate diagnosis and monitoring of neurological conditions, helping to bridge the gap between research discoveries and clinical applications.
“With the MAGNUS we can detect subtle details in brain tissue that were previously invisible. The scanner's higher resolution, combined with advanced models, gives us both greater sensitivity to detect smaller features and greater specificity to distinguish between different tissue properties with much more precision,” comments Dr Dell’Acqua.
From early development to degeneration
Precisely measuring axons, cellular size and their densities is crucial to researching brain development and degeneration. In a developing brain, new connections are forming whereas in neurodegenerative disorders, neurons are lost. The new scanner allows highly accurate quantification of these changes in the living brain tissue.
“Now we can precisely quantify how many neurons are dying, the rate of change of white matter density and a whole range of new markers that are valuable to assessing degeneration in the brain” says Dr Dell’Acqua.
For several developmentally linked conditions such as ADHD, autism and psychosis, the MAGNUS scanner provides an exciting tool to measure how white matter and connections develop differently in children and young people who develop symptoms.
What is exciting is that we can use this novel clinical scanner to generate extremely high-quality images of brain structure and function for all ages.
Professor Steve Williams, Head of Neuroimaging, School of Neuroscience.
The new scanner can also allow scientists to measure the amount of myelin – the fatty substance which insulates nerve fibres. This is crucial for monitoring and treating neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis, in which myelin is destroyed, or developmental disorders where it fails to form correctly.
Importance for children and young people
Previous work from Professor Williams and his team has focused on making scanning more accessible to children and young people. Conventional scanning is extremely loud and can be time consuming. For young children who struggle to stay still for long periods and those with ADHD or autism who may be sensitive to noise this can be a strong deterrent.
The MAGNUS system is compatible with new silent scanning methods previously developed by Professor Williams’ team in collaboration with GE HealthCare and with support from the NIHR Maudsley BRC.
“Scanners can be noisy. For people feeling anxious, who are neurodiverse, those with tinnitus or auditory hallucinations, the noise can make scanning intolerable. It was important to us that we made the scanners as comfortable and quiet as possible for everyone.” – Professor Steve Williams, Head of Neuroimaging at the School of Neuroscience.
The researchers have also developed imaging methods which tolerate movement during the scan, allowing some of our most unwell subjects to be scanned. On top of that, the new MRI technology allow for two to three times faster scanning.
“With conventional whole-body scanners, in order to image every organ, you have to compromise,” commented Professor Williams. “The GE HealthCare MAGNUS 3T scanner is much more optimised for the head and neck, which means we can also choose to prioritise data quality, resolution or scan time. This is particularly good for children, who may not want to be in a scanner for a long time.”
These developments, specifically aimed at children and young people, will be groundbreaking for research into developmental disorders such as autism, ADHD and psychosis.
In recognition of its vital role for children and young people, the new scanner was partly funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) as part of the King's Maudsley Partnership for Children and Young People.
The new scanner is better for kids. It’s in a really lovely room, makes less noise, and during many of the scans, the child can watch a movie or listen to their favourite music, to help them feel at ease. We want scanning to be great for science and fun for kids.
Professor Philip Shaw, Director of the King’s Maudsley Partnership.
State of the art surgical tool
The resolution allowed by the MAGNUS scanner provides images precise enough to better assist in the planning of complex brain surgery, for instance when resecting a tumour that lies close to the motor tract. This tract contains nerve fibres that are critical for surgeons to avoid, since damage can lead to deficit or paralysis. Previously, pre-surgical imaging relied on highly sophisticated mathematical models that provided an accurate but indirect estimate where the tract lay. With the MAGNUS scanner, the true location of the motor tract can be directly visualised and precisely measured.
Dr Dell’Acqua is now involved in a collaborative project with neurosurgeon Francesco Vergani at King’s College Hospital (KCH) Foundation Trust to explore the full surgical potential of the GE HealthCare MAGNUS 3T. “We are excited to collaborate with the Neuroimaging Department of at the School of Neuroscience to use a next-generation MRI scanner, MAGNUS, one of only five in the world,” commented Mr. Francesco Vergani, Consultant Neurosurgeon at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
“One of our first projects is to use the MAGNUS scanner to study brain tumours in adults with all types of diffuse gliomas and all ranges of malignancy, comparing the results obtained with MAGNUS and standard MRI scanners currently used in clinical practice. For patients, this technology could lead to safer surgery, reduced risk of permanent disability, and more complete tumour removal.”
An opportunity for collaboration
The scanner will be available for use by researchers across the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, NIHR Maudsley BRC, the King’s Maudsley Partnership, the King's Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences and clinicians in King’s Health Partners.
The scanner also offers opportunities for collaboration further afield across the UK and internationally. Plans are developing for an international consortium between groups using these scanners across the globe. Data from the MAGNUS system at King’s will be used to develop the technology further towards a commercially available system, leading the future of brain scanning worldwide.
“The investigational MAGNUS system has demonstrated high resolution, high image quality microstructure brain imaging. GE HealthCare is pleased to support the neuroscience research at King’s and to use the performance feedback towards development of a fully CE-marked, commercial system,” commented Thomas Foo, PhD, Chief Scientist at GE HITC.
Researchers have already presented initial data to experts in the field at the High-Performance Neuroimaging Symposium, held on the 10th–11th December 2025 at King's College London and supported by GE HealthCare. The symposium brought together leading researchers from institutions including Stanford University, Massachusetts General Hospital, the University of Iowa, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Cardiff University and the National Institute of Health, alongside international experts in high-performance MRI. Presentations covered early findings from the MAGNUS scanner as well as the latest advances in high-resolution neuroimaging, with representatives from GE HealthCare also sharing insights into the technology behind the system. The event concluded with a tour of King's new MAGNUS facilities.
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Professor of Neuroimaging