For the first time in Australia, doctors have been able to "see" the human heart using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).

This follows a $4.5 million agreement announced earlier this year between The University of Queensland and Uniting Health Care/the Wesley Hospital.

Under the agreement two new MRI machines were installed at the Wesley Hospital campus in June. The result will be ground-breaking advances in cardiac diagnosis, treatment and research-and treatment of stroke and Alzheimer's disease.

The Wesley Hospital General Manager, Dr Jennifer King, said the new MRI technology would give specialists another sophisticated cardiac diagnostic tool. Dr King said MRI was a proven technique in imaging static bodily organs such as the brain, kidney, and liver. But until now, the heart had eluded MRI imaging.

"Because of the rapid movement of the heart, doctors have been unable to clearly obtain an MRI snapshot of the heart at work. This has been the cardi-ologists' medical Mt Everest, but now it has been conquered using technology," Dr King said.

She said the new MRI's accuracy and clarity would be particularly valuable in diagnosing heart-valve disease and aneurysms, and in the treatment of babies and children.

UQ Vice-Chancellor Professor John Hay said the University was pleased to join with Uniting Health Care and The Wesley Hospital to create an international centre of excellence in Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

"Wesley has a national reputation for high quality patient care, while the University's Centre for Magnetic Resonance, headed by Professor David Doddrell, is responsible for technologies incorporated in 70 percent of recently installed MRI systems produced in the international $3 billion annual market," he said.

"Their patented probes and gradients are now used throughout the world, and provide jobs for Queenslanders."

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