MBR Health is at the forefront of whole-body MRI research in Australia, advancing the modality across oncology staging, treatment response monitoring, population screening and quantitative applications. Our whole-body MRI research program is led by Mr Ben Kennedy and Dr Zane Sherif, co-founders of Whole Body MRI™, supported by our senior MRI radiographers and clinical research team. This dedicated research entity positions MBR Health among a select group of facilities globally conducting structured, translational whole-body MRI research.
MBR Health’s whole-body MRI research is organised across six core focus areas, each addressing a distinct clinical need or technical challenge in the advancement of the modality.
The research programs described on this page represent active investigator-initiated research conducted at MBR Health and Whole Body MRI Pty Ltd. These programs are research activities and do not constitute routine clinical services. Participation in or access to research programs is determined on an individual basis and subject to appropriate ethical oversight, eligibility criteria and clinical assessment.
Research findings and protocols described on this page are translational in nature and may not yet be supported by established clinical guidelines or regulatory approval for routine clinical use. MBR Health does not guarantee specific outcomes from participation in any research program.If you are interested in our research programs, we encourage you to contact our research team to discuss current availability, eligibility and appropriate referral pathways.
MBR Health is advancing whole body MRI as a clinically validated screening and oncology tool, developing protocols for early disease detection, multi-system assessment and comprehensive oncology staging. Our research investigates whole body MRI as a radiation-free alternative to conventional staging pathways, with a focus on improving diagnostic accuracy, patient tolerability and clinical workflow integration.
DWIBS is a cornerstone of whole body MRI for oncology and screening applications. Our research advances DWIBS protocol development, optimising acquisition parameters, background suppression techniques and image quality and fidelity to improve lesion detection, characterisation and clinical confidence across whole-body examinations.
The psychosocial burden placed on patients when clinically significant or uncertain findings are identified incidentally during whole body MRI — anxiety, decision burden, follow-up compliance and quality of life impact.
MBR Health is investigating the application of artificial intelligence in whole body MRI image reconstruction, exploring how AI-powered tools can enhance spatial resolution, reduce acquisition time and improve overall image quality without compromising diagnostic integrity. This research aims to make whole body MRI faster, sharper and more clinically accessible.
Our quantitative whole body MRI research develops and validates measurement-based imaging biomarkers across oncology, metabolic health and musculoskeletal applications. By generating objective, reproducible quantitative data from whole body examinations, this research supports more precise disease characterisation, treatment response monitoring and longitudinal patient assessment.
Standardised reporting is essential to the clinical translation of whole body MRI. MBR Health is evaluating current international reporting frameworks (e.g. ONCO-RADS) to facilitate further development to enhanced structured reporting templates that improve diagnostic consistency, clinician communication and follow-up pathway clarity across oncology and screening applications.
MBR Health Philips 3T Ingenia Elition X MBR Health’s whole-body MRI research is conducted on a dedicated Philips Ingenia Elition X 3T MRI scanner, supported by merit-based access to advanced clinical science tools from leading global imaging technology partners — capabilities unavailable to most clinical or research institutions.
Critically, MBR Health operates as a comprehensive diagnostic radiology facility, performing whole-body MRI as an active clinical service for oncology patients. This positions us uniquely in the whole-body MRI research space — our protocols are not developed in isolation but continuously validated against gold-standard cross-modality imaging including PET. This integration of clinical practice and research infrastructure means every protocol we develop is tested, refined and validated in a real-world diagnostic environment, producing research findings with direct and immediate clinical applicability.
Whole-body MRI has the potential to transform how complex and multi-system disease is detected, staged and monitored. As a radiation-free modality capable of comprehensive anatomical and functional assessment in a single examination, it represents a significant advancement over conventional imaging pathways that rely on multiple modalities and cumulative radiation exposure.
MBR Health’s research is accelerating this transition — developing the protocols, quantitative tools, AI-enhanced reconstruction techniques and reporting frameworks needed to establish whole-body MRI as a rigorous, reproducible and clinically trusted modality. Every program we pursue is driven by a genuine clinical question and validated through direct clinical application.
Dr Zane Sherif & Mr ben kennedy Dr Zane Sherif and Mr Ben Kennedy co-founded Whole Body MRI™, combining clinical leadership in radiology with deep expertise in MRI sequence development and clinical research. Together they drive a rigorous translational whole-body MRI research program spanning protocol optimisation, distortion correction, quantitative imaging and novel diagnostic applications across oncology and screening.
Supported by our Senior Radiographers,
Sonographers and Clinical Research Team.
Our whole-body MRI research is relevant to a broad range of clinicians, researchers, industry partners and patients. Select your area below to understand how MBR Health and Whole Body MRI™ can support your practice, program or research.
Our whole-body MRI oncology research supports radiation-free staging, treatment response monitoring and comprehensive disease assessment, continuously validated against gold-standard imaging including PET. We welcome patient referrals and research collaborations from oncologists and haematologists seeking advanced whole-body imaging pathways.
Our population screening research develops whole-body MRI protocols for early disease detection and comprehensive preventative health assessment. We also evaluate the psychosocial impact of incidental findings on patients undergoing screening, ensuring our protocols are designed with the whole patient experience in mind.
MBR Health and Whole Body MRI™ welcome collaboration with clinician-scientists, higher-degree researchers and academic institutions seeking access to research-grade whole-body MRI infrastructure, cross-modality validation capability and translational research expertise across technical and psychosocial research domains.
If you are interested in whole-body MRI for oncology staging, screening or comprehensive health assessment, we welcome your enquiry. Our team is experienced in supporting patients through the whole-body MRI experience and can discuss whether whole-body MRI is appropriate for your clinical needs.
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One of the most advanced MRI platforms available globally, providing the hardware foundation for novel sequence development.
Granted by leading global imaging technology partners and unavailable to most clinical or research institutions.
Mr Ben Kennedy presents MRI translational research at international conferences and scientific forums, positioning MBR Health’s sequence development at the forefront of global MRI innovation.
Mr Ben Kennedy has contributed to the peer-reviewed literature through published case reports, clinical updates and an authored book chapter on MRI pulse sequences in musculoskeletal imaging, published by Elsevier — one of the world’s leading academic medical publishers.
Meeting the highest standards of laboratory and imaging accreditation in Australia.
All R&D staff hold active Good Clinical Practice certification ensuring regulatory compliance across every study.
Working with leading global imaging technology partners on next-generation spectral CT development.
Across oncology, opportunistic health assessment, breast imaging and dose reduction programs.
Every protocol developed at MBR Health is validated through direct clinical application and real-world patient care.