Understanding MRI is a series of co-created animations which explain key aspects of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a neuroimaging technique which is frequently used at UCL’s Department of Imaging Neuroscience.

The animation series has been created by a multi-disciplinary team from the Department, including members of the Physics, Imaging Support, qMAP-PD and PLORAS teams, alongside volunteers who participate in the Department’s research.

Animated by Alice Haskell, the videos aim to explain different aspects of MRI technology, particularly to people who may be about to have an MRI scan.

The first video, ‘What is functional MRI?’ was released in 2021 and was funded by a Centre Public Engagement grant.  It responded to the aspect of MRI that research volunteers most wanted to know about – functional MRI.

Due to the success of this video (including being awarded the Outstanding Public Engagement Project Award in 2021), the Understanding MRI team were successfully awarded a second Centre Public Engagement grant in 2022 to create two more videos. These videos were launched in 2023, and explain: Why do we use MRI for research? and Having an MRI scan for research: What happens?

Explore these pages to find out more about the project, and watch the animations in this series.