A magnetic resonance imaging system comprising: (a) an MRI device comprising: (i) a magnet system configured to apply a polarizing magnetic field about at least a portion of a subject arranged in the MRI system; (ii) a plurality of gradient coils configured to apply a gradient field to the polarizing magnetic field; and, (iii) a radiofrequency system configured to apply a RF excitation field to a region of interest in the subject and acquire signal data therefrom; and, (b) a computer system, having a processor and memory, configured to: (i) perform a T2*-weighted sequence by controlling the MRI device, wherein the T2*-weighted sequence is a 3D-T2*-weighted imaging sequence comprising inversion recovery susceptibility weighted imaging combined with enhanced T2 weighting, referred to as an IR-SWIET sequence, comprising a T2-prepared inversion pulse (T2Prep) followed by an inversion pulse, wherein the T2Prep suppresses CSF signals by tuning the inversion time of the inversion pulse to the null point of CSF; (ii) acquire high resolution signal data generated by the sequence; and, (iii) produce one or more high resolution images from the signal data. (a) an MRI device comprising: (i) a magnet system configured to apply a polarizing magnetic field about at least a portion of a subject arranged in the MRI system; (ii) a plurality of gradient coils configured to apply a gradient field to the polarizing magnetic field; and, (iii) a radiofrequency system configured to apply a RF excitation field to a region of interest in the subject and acquire signal data therefrom; and, (i) a magnet system configured to apply a polarizing magnetic field about at least a portion of a subject arranged in the MRI system; (ii) a plurality of gradient coils configured to apply a gradient field to the polarizing magnetic field; and, (iii) a radiofrequency system configured to apply a RF excitation field to a region of interest in the subject and acquire signal data therefrom; and, (b) a computer system, having a processor and memory, configured to: (i) perform a T2*-weighted sequence by controlling the MRI device, wherein the T2*-weighted sequence is a 3D-T2*-weighted imaging sequence comprising inversion recovery susceptibility weighted imaging combined with enhanced T2 weighting, referred to as an IR-SWIET sequence, comprising a T2-prepared inversion pulse (T2Prep) followed by an inversion pulse, wherein the T2Prep suppresses CSF signals by tuning the inversion time of the inversion pulse to the null point of CSF; (ii) acquire high resolution signal data generated by the sequence; and, (iii) produce one or more high resolution images from the signal data. (i) perform a T2*-weighted sequence by controlling the MRI device, wherein the T2*-weighted sequence is a 3D-T2*-weighted imaging sequence comprising inversion recovery susceptibility weighted imaging combined with enhanced T2 weighting, referred to as an IR-SWIET sequence, comprising a T2-prepared inversion pulse (T2Prep) followed by an inversion pulse, wherein the T2Prep suppresses CSF signals by tuning the inversion time of the inversion pulse to the null point of CSF; (ii) acquire high resolution signal data generated by the sequence; and, (iii) produce one or more high resolution images from the signal data.