The MRI playground

Student - Ana Diop

Supervisor - Dr Jonathan O’Muircheartaigh

The MRI playroom is targeted at children. It’s an immersive experience consisting of games, videos, and experiments with magnets in an educational environment where they can learn from scientists and demonstrators about the science behind MRI and their use in real time brain imaging. The playroom is used as a recruitment tool for participants for the lab studies and to get the children familiar with the MRI machine and the sounds it makes. The children would have access to a magnet station where they can experiment with metals and other materials to see the effects of the magnet and get taught about the magnets in the MRI machine and how it works. They will also have a video game where they follow the steps to a successful MRI, they choose a character and follow steps outlined in the game. This would get them to be more comfortable with the process. They have a brain imaging station where they can learn about the different areas of the brain and the ones that scientists typically look for in their studies.