Disclosed embodiments provide an apparatus and method for imaging breast tissue of a subject, wherein a subject is positioned on a structure so that at least a portion of the subject's body is supported by the structure, magnetic resonance imaging is performed on the portion of the subject's body using an MRI system including a plurality of MRI coils positioned in proximity to the structure, wherein, while the portion of the subject's body is positioned upon the structure, breast tissue of the subject's body is compressed in the proximity of plurality of MRI coils.