Stephenson Cardiac Imaging Centre

A leading clinical, research and teaching facility

The Stephenson Cardiac Imaging Centre was founded at the Foothills Medical Centre in 2005 by a group of visionary philanthropists, Alberta Health Services, and the Divisions of Cardiology and Diagnostic Imaging. Our centre is a global leader in cardiovascular clinical care, research and teaching. 

Clinical

MRI is a unique imaging test that combines magnetic fields and radio frequencies to generate images of the body without radiation. Over the past 15 years it has been increasingly used to obtain two-, three- and now four-dimensional images of the heart and large blood vessels. It is now considered a "gold standard" test for many aspects of cardiovascular disease, particularly for the assessment of cardiac size, function and diseases of the heart muscle.

Research

Researchers at the Stephenson Cardiac Imaging Centre are leading numerous studies and collaborating with a plethora of researchers to tackle cardiovascular issues. They are leaders in the area of precision medicine.

Teaching

The centre is a multi-disciplinary teaching facility that supports level two training in cardiovascular MRI that includes stress perfusion imaging and congenital heart disease. Each year the centre provides one competitive and one externally funded training position. It also provides level two training to trainees of the Cummings School of Medicine within the cardiology and radiology training programs.

In late 2025, Dr. Marco Götte joined the Stephenson Cardiac Imaging Centre as its new Scientific Director. A globally recognized innovator in cardiac MRI from the Netherlands, Dr. Götte is renowned for pioneering MRI-guided ablation techniques. His leadership will drive cutting-edge research in personalized heart care, seamlessly linking academic innovation with clinical practice to improve prediction and prevention of heart disease. His expertise is a perfect fit for Calgary’s rapidly growing health tech ecosystem.

The Stephenson Centre has two cardiac MRI scanners located at the Foothills Medical Centre and South Health Campus. The team performs about 3,500 studies per year, conducts numerous clinical research studies, and collaborates with basic science and clinical researchers from within Alberta and around the world. The Centre attracts from around the globe.

Our History

The Stephenson Centre began operations under the direction of Dr. Matthias Friedrich, a Cardiologist and Cardiac Imager recruited from Germany. This program was the first of its kind in Canada and established Cardiac MRI as an important pillar of cardiac care in Southern Alberta. Cardiologist and clinician-scientist, Dr. James White, took over leadership in 2013, bringing a new academic focus and expertise in data collection and analytics.