Human Imaging Center at Byers Hall

Surbeck Laboratory for Advanced Imaging

The mission of the Surbeck Laboratory at Byers Hall at Mission Bay Campus is to create an optimal environment for creating and optimizing new imaging technologies for investigating disease, health, and treatment. The overall objective is to contribute to the understanding of normal physiology and to elucidate the underlying biological mechanisms of health and disease. Critical factors that can be investigated through imaging are disease progression, the biochemical basis of different diseases, and response to treatment by individual patients. Translating these factors into bioengineering developments involve the integration of the underlying principles of MR physics with the design of new algorithms for reconstruction, post-processing and quantitative interpretation of the resulting multi-dimensional and multi-faceted imaging data, as well as the development of innovative RF coils and coil arrays for high-field and metabolic imaging. These new imaging techniques are then applied in novel research studies of healthy volunteers and patients with a broad range of diseases.

Learn more about our 7T and 3T Whole-Body MRI

We are located between 4^th street and 16^th street. Our address is 1700 4^th Street SF Ca 94158. The entrance to the building is located along Campus Way. Genentech Hall Main Entrance.

You will be looking for the large outdoor stone staircase. Once you arrive at the staircase outside Genentech Hall, please call the front desk (415-514-4815) we will meet you outside and escort you into the building.

Things to know

Complete the MRI screening form online prior to appointment via MyChart.
Arrival time is 30 minutes prior to appointment time unless otherwise indicated by our nurse. Be prepared to show picture ID.
Front Desk number 415-514-4815
The Surbeck Lab is a Fragrance-Free Zone. Please avoid wearing fragrances (perfumes, colognes and or scented lotions) out of respect for staff and others in the waiting room. Some could be allergic to scents.
Parking validation is offered by some studies, please check with your study coordinator.
How to request a copy of your MRI: https://radiology.ucsf.edu/patient-care/for-patients/radiology-library-patients
Cafés and Restaurants
- Double Shot located on Gene Friend Way, Located next to Peasant pies.
- https://www.peasantpies.com/
- https://www.starbucks.com/store-locator/store/10784/owens-16th-1700-owens-street-san-francisco-ca-941580004-us
- https://sparksocialsf.com/
- https://www.philzcoffee.com/?utm_source=gmb&utm_medium=yext
- http://sfkebab.com/
- https://odasfdineandbrew.com/
- https://www.dumplingtime.com/

Useful Links:

Preparing for MRI Exam: https://radiology.ucsf.edu/patient-care/prepare/mri
Office of Research: https://research.ucsf.edu/

7T and 3T Whole-Body MRI at Mission Bay

A full-Study imaging application must be submitted for review and approval before an imaging study begins.

Scheduling Information for Researchers

All scheduling requests are submitted via Qualtrics. Scans are scheduled in 30-minute increments and reservation time needs to include 10min of set-up/breakdown time (i.e. 60min reservation only allows for 50min of actual scan time). Approved requests will be followed up with calendar invite as confirmation. Signed Apex orders are required at least two days prior to scheduled MRI. Patient/volunteers will be contacted a day prior to MRI with prep information, directions and COVID screening. We also have a quiet private room available for consenting and testing, reservations made via Qualtrics scheduling form.

Please note: Cancelations within 24 hours of MRI reservation will be charged amount of scanner time reserved.

Please wait for confirmation or email response before confirming appointment with patient.

MRI Safety and Training for Researchers

MRI safety training and orientation of the Surbeck Lab is required for anyone entering Zone 3 & 4. Required documents should be completed along with the online MRI safety training course. This safety training course can be found at MyAccess in the Learning Center. Course name is UCSF Level II MRI Personnel Safety Module. Those documents are MRI Screening form, Zone 3 form

MRI simulator

The realistic looking MRI simulator provides the true feeling of the MRI scanner environment, allowing the participants to familiarize with the setup, orient themselves and feel comfortable with the limited space in the MRI bore as well as noises associated with MRI scans.

Useful links:

Full Study Imaging Application and AIR

Recharge Rates

Qualtrics scheduling request form

Qualtrics rescheduling/cancelation form

UCSF Radiology Department Safety information

MRI Safety wesite

CPR Training course locations:

Revive CPR and American Heart Association classes

For more information contact [email protected]

About Surbeck

The late Mrs. Surbeck’s will established INDNJC, Inc. (a non-profit corporation) to fund health-related research reflecting her lifelong interest in electromagnetic radiation. After conducting a nationwide search, the INDNJC board of directors selected UCSF as the best institution, and Professor Sarah Nelson as the distinguished researcher, to lead this effort. The result is the Surbeck Program in Advanced Imaging. “Margaret Surbeck had a lifelong dream of using radio waves to improve the health of mankind. She would be pleased to learn that we now use electromagnetic radiation to produce internal images of immense diagnostic and investigative value,” says Reg Kelly, PhD, UCSF Executive Vice Chancellor. “This support will enable us to employ this technology to observe the processes of disease and hasten progress toward new therapies."

Past Symposiums

Surbeck Symposium 2016

UCSF's Margaret Hart Surbeck Laboratory and the INDNJC Board of Directors were proud to recognize three winning young investigators, Llewellyn ‘Trey’ Jalbert, PhD (first place), Robert Flavell, MD, PhD (second place), Chloe Najac, PhD (third place) at the tenth Annual Surbeck Awards held at Genentech Hall, Mission Bay Campus on March 2016.

L-R) Richard Gowen, INDNJC Board President, Chair Ron Arenson MD, Third Place Awardee Chloe Najac, PhD, Vice-Chair, Bill Dillon, MD, Awardee Llewellyn "Trey" Jalbert, PhD, Awardee Robert Flavell, MD, PhD, Surbeck Director Sarah Nelson, PhD and INDNJC Foundation Members Nancy Gowen and Sharon McCauley.

Surbeck Symposium 2015

Research done by the three young investigators honored with the 2015 Surbeck Awards. Wei Bian, PhD (first place), Wenwen Jian (PhD Candidate, second place), and Valentina Pedoia, PhD (third place) presented their work at the nineth annual award ceremony on March 2015 at UCSF Genentech Hall, Mission Bay.

(L-R): Nancy Gowen, Hal Lane, Wenwen Jiang, Wei Bian, PhD, Valentina Pedoia, PhD, Sarah Nelson, PhD, and Dick Gowen, PhD (President of the INDNJC Board of Directors).

Surbeck Symposium 2014

Research done by the three young investigators honored with the 2014 Surbeck Awards. Aditi Guha, MS (first place), Marc Mabray, MD, accepting award for Akash Kansagra, MD (third place), and Christine Leon Swisher, MS (second place) presented their work at the eighth annual award ceremony on March 2014 at UCSF Genentech Hall, Mission Bay.

Sarah Nelson, PhD, director of the Surbeck Laboratory and Richard Gowen, PhD, president of the INDNJC Foundation, which supports the awards, presented the awards. (L-R) Aditi Guha, MS, Marc Mabray, MD, accepting award for Akash Kansagra, MD, and Christine Leon Swisher, MS.

Surbeck Symposium 2013

The move to more personalized medicine characterizes the research done by the four young investigators honored with the 2013 Surbeck Awards. Galen Reed, Myriam Chaumeil, PhD, Olga Tymofiyeva, PhD, and Gerd Melkus, PhD, presented their work at the seventh annual award ceremony on March 15, 2013 at UCSF Mission Bay’s Genentech Hall.

Department Chair Ron L. Arenson, MD (back row, center) and Surbeck Laboratory faculty join INDNJC board members in congratulating the 2013 Surbeck award winners (front row, L-R) Galen Reed, Olga Tymofiyeva, PhD, Myriam Chaumeil, PhD and Gerd Melkus, PhD.

Surbeck Symposium 2012

Five talented scholars, Galen Reed, Simon Hu, PhD, Kayvan Keshari, PhD, Ilwoo Park, PhD, Myriam M. Chaumeil, PhD, earned awards at the sixth annual Surbeck Investigators Awards presentation in March 2012. They presented their work to an admiring audience in Genentech Hall, at an event moderated by Professor Sarah J. Nelson, PhD, director of the Surbeck Laboratory of Advanced Imaging and Richard Gowen, PhD, president of the INDNJC Foundation.