INDIANAPOLIS — Cook Medical and Indiana University have officially opened the Indiana University Interventional MRI Cardiac Magnetic Resonance (iMRI/CMR) Center of Excellence, marking a major milestone in their ongoing collaboration to advance radiation-free, MRI-guided medical treatments and accelerate their translation into everyday patient care.
University and industry leaders gathered at the Medical Imaging Research Institute within the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis for a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Among those cutting the ribbon were Sean Chambers, Pete Polverini, Pete Yonkman, Pamela Whitten, Rohan Dharmakumar, and David Rosenberg.
Expanding the Frontiers of Minimally Invasive Care
The newly established IU iMRI/CMR Center of Excellence will investigate how real-time interventional MRI can support novel procedures and expand the clinical utility of existing techniques. Center research will concentrate on several key pillars:
- Cardiac and Pediatric Procedures: Investigating MRI-guided approaches for delicate heart and pediatric procedures to broaden the applications of interventional MRI.
- Image-Guided Needle Bi1s: Exploring advanced MRI guidance for tissue sampling biopsies targeting the prostate, liver, kidneys, and lungs.
- Localized Drug Delivery: Researching precision, MRI-guided methods to deliver therapeutic medications directly to targeted areas of the human body.
- Medical Device & Imaging Integration: Developing and testing technologies that seamlessly integrate medical instrumentation with MRI systems, allowing physicians to visualize anatomy and guide tools simultaneously.
- Workforce Training: Hosting practicums and structured training programs to equip radiology and MR technologists with expertise in emerging interventional workflows.
Through institutional review board (IRB)-approved human studies, researchers will evaluate and refine these evolving procedures. The findings aim to establish the clinical evidence and procedural standards required before broader adoption or progression to larger clinical trials.
Partnership Highlights
Leaders from both institutions emphasized the synergy between Cook Medical’s device engineering prowess and IU’s clinical, academic, and imaging expertise.
“Opening the Indiana University iMRI/CMR Center of Excellence marks a pivotal step toward a more precise, radiation-free future for minimally invasive care,” said Peter Polverini, vice president of Cook Medical’s iMRI division. “Cook brings experience in medical device creation and testing as well as our expertise in iMRI. We’re excited to combine our strengths with IU’s medical training background and renowned research capabilities.”
“The opening of this center gives IU and Cook Medical a place to turn promising MRI-guided ideas into procedures we can study, refine, and teach,” said Rohan Dharmakumar, executive director of the IU Medical Imaging Research Institute and vice chair for research in the IU School of Medicine’s Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences. “This is what a strong research and industry partnership can accomplish: Cook’s device development expertise helps shape the questions our researchers investigate, and IU’s clinical and imaging expertise helps turn the answers into practical advances.”
Building on a Strong Foundation
The new Center of Excellence follows Cook Medical’s decision in March to name Indiana University an Interventional MRI Center of Excellence, recognizing the institution’s leadership in clinical, imaging, and engineering research.
The initiative builds directly upon a broader five-year agreement announced in 2025 between Cook Medical and the Indiana University Launch Accelerator for Biosciences, designed to bridge academic research and real-world healthcare solutions.
