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Sir Peter Mansfield

Sir Peter's love affair with MRI began after graduating with a degree in Physics from Queen Mary College, London, completing his PhD in 1962, and carrying out postdoctoral research at the University of Illinois, studying nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) in solids. In 1964 he returned to the UK to take up a post as lecturer here at Nottingham.. 

In the early 1970s he proposed the idea that NMR could be used to study the structure of matter, and this developed into a vision of how NMR could form the basis of a medical imaging technique. This technique was later named magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Funded by the Medical Research Council he developed MRI apparatus which produced the first MRI images of a live human finger in 1974, and a live human torso (Mansfield's own) in 1978. Sir Peter was instrumental in the construction of the Magnetic Resonance Centre at the university, and was its first Director, from 1991 to 1994.

He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1987 and knighted in 1993. In 2003 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Paul Lauterbur 'for their discoveries concerning magnetic resonance imaging'.

MRI in the 21st century

Today, an MRI scan takes place every three seconds and countless millions of patients have benefited from Sir Peter’s invention. The Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre (SPMIC) continues to build on his legacy, driving new advances in imaging technology and deepening our understanding of the human body for better health outcomes.

In 2025 work began on our which will be home to the UK’s most powerful MRI scanner, used by researchers and doctors to give unprecedented insights into brain function and the mechanisms of human disease. The new magnet hall will be a large extension to the existing Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre. The 250 sq. metre structure is the first part of the unique development of the national facility that will be home to the 11.7 Tesla Ultra High Field MRI scanner - a 70-tonne, state-of-the-art system that will enhance the UK’s capability for world-leading brain imaging research.

The new scanner will be 1,000 times more powerful than the first scanners developed by the late Sir Peter Mansfield, and will help transform understanding of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s and neurodevelopmental disorders including autism and schizophrenia. Led by Professor Richard Bowtell, (PhD Physics, 1988), current Head of the Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre (SPMIC) and former student of Sir Peter, we can be sure that our proud legacy in the field of MRI will be continued long into the 21st century.

From MRI to MEG - decoding how our brains work

The last 10 years has seen the university's research innovation evolve, with new techniques providing a unique insight into the human brain. Historically, imaging human brain function with magnetoencephalography (MEG) typically required a subject to perform tasks while their head remained still within a restrictive scanner. This artificial environment makes the technique inaccessible to many people, and limits the experimental questions that can be addressed.

Thanks to advances by Professor Matt Brookes OBE (below) and colleagues, Nottingham is leading the way in a new field of wearable brain imaging technology. This new generation of brain scanner employs quantum enabled sensors to measure magnetic fields above the scalp that are generated by brain activity. Professor Brookes and his team have used small, lightweight optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs), which employ the fundamental quantum physics of atoms to measure the neuromagnetic field.

The team are able to incorporate these sensors into a novel scanner design that can be worn as a helmet allowing people to move freely. The system can be adapted to anyone, from newborns to adults, and sensors can be placed much closer to the head, dramatically enhancing data quality. OPM-MEG is also cheaper than conventional scanners.

The combined efforts of Professor Brookes and his team have also made the commercialisation of OPM-MEG viable. Cerca Magnetics Limited was launched in July 2020 with a vision to support institutions around the world who want to use OPM-MEG technology. By this summer, cumulative sales stood at around £33 million!

The company has supplied their wearable brain imaging technology to research institutions across four continents, and they count some of the world’s most prestigious universities among their customers. This has enabled the new technology to be installed in major hospitals and leading academic institutions worldwide, where it is now being used for a wide variety of applications including investigation of brain function in children with autistic spectrum disorders, and identification of the brain regions responsible for epilepsy.