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Standard magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography are routinely employed for anatomic diagnosis in brain tumors. Pre-therapy planning and post-treatment response assessments rely heavily on gadolinium-enhanced MRI. Advanced MRI techniques and positron emission tomography (PET) imaging offer physiologic, metabolic or functional information about tumor biology that goes beyond the diagnostic yield of standard anatomic imaging. With the advent of combined PET-MRI scanners, we are entering an era wherein the relationships among different elements of tumor metabolism can be simultaneously explored through multi-modality MRI and PET imaging. The purpose of this review is to provide a practical and clinically-relevant overview of current anatomic and physiologic imaging of brain tumors as a foundation for further investigations, with a primary focus on MRI and PET techniques that have demonstrated utility in the current care of brain tumor patients. Key Words: magnetic resonance imaging positron emission tomography brain tumo