The fabrication of MgB2 superconducting wire has enabled the development of novel magnet designs for MRI systems. Compared to MRI magnets in use today, which are submerged in a bath of liquid helium, the higher critical temperature (39K) of the MgB2 facilitates conduction cooling which reduces the use of liquid helium by a factor of 100 or more. In collaboration with Hyper Tech Research, a world leader in the manufacture of MgB2 wire, and the Center for Superconducting and Magnetic Materials at the Ohio State University, we have developed a comprehensive conceptual designs for 1.5 T and 3 T MgB2 magnets. In addition an important milestone has been the construction and operation of a 

full sized coil wound with MgB2 wire. In this talk we present these magnet designs, the challenges encountered along the way, and the experimental results using the prototype coil.