Why Create a Brain Imaging Ceoter of Economic Excellence (BICOEE)?
One of the last remaining frontiers in science and medicine is to understand how the human brain works, both in health and disease. Central to this exploding area of science are new non-invasive tools for imaging the brain. The main area of rapid development in this area involves magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI. Given the great increase in the ability to research and investigate the living human brain, there is widespread expectation that intervention technologies to improve the function of the damaged or even the normal brain will become possible. The State of South Carolina is both an ideal testing ground and a needy recipient for many of these technologies. For example, in the context of technology to repair the damaged brain, South Carolina has the highest incidence of brain damage due to stroke of any state in the USA. Similarly, when we consider brain-related technologies for defense and law-enforcement, South Carolina is also optimally positioned. With the Department of Defen
