One of the delightful aspects of running an imaging facility is the sheer variety of projects coming through the door. Late last year my boss told me he'd been discussing with a group from Emory University about doing fMRI on trained dogs at our center. I'll confess to receiving the suggestion unenthusiastically, if only because I envisioned a mass of bureaucracy followed by a head-on logistical collision between the dog group and the dozens of human users. Activity at our center oscillates between hectic and frenetic, depending on the day. But, as it turned out I needn't have worried. The bureaucracy was handled admirably by the Emory folks while the logistical issues simply failed to materialize because of the professionalism of the dog fMRI team. It's been an enjoyable experience. And there are dogs. Many boisterous, happy, playful yet exceedingly well-trained dogs. Like these:
