Reaearch Methods (Neuroimaging Core)

University Of Cincinnati, Cincinnati OH

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

The Neuroimaging Core (NIC) fulfills the requirement for a "Research Methods Core" described in the[unreadable] CIDAR Program Announcement (PA05-039); the NIC will provide Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and[unreadable] Spectroscopy (MRS) to the BITREC. The NIC will be based in the University of Cincinnati (UC) Center for[unreadable] Imaging Research (CIR). The CIR employs a number of physicians, MR physicists and neuroscientists, as[unreadable] well as a business administrator, MR engineer, MR technician, software programmer, and IT technician to[unreadable] support its day-to-day operations. Dr. Lee, an Associate Director and the senior physicist of the CIR, will be[unreadable] the Director of the NIC. He will oversee overall core function and novel technology development. He will also[unreadable] supervise any MRI system upgrades to ensure that these do not impact on our ability to achieve BITREC[unreadable] objectives. The NIC will be organized into two divisions reflecting its primary activities. The MRS division,[unreadable] directed by Dr. Komoroski, with Dr. Chu serving as Assistant Director, will provide for MRS technical[unreadable] development, data processing, and data analysis for the BITREC. The MRI division, directed by Dr. Eliassen,[unreadable] will provide for fMRI data processing and analysis as well as for the development of novel[unreadable] neuropsychological probes required by the BITREC. NIC faculty will also work with the Biostatistics Division[unreadable] of the Operations and Clinical Assessment Core in order to develop novel methods to integrate and analyze[unreadable] clinical and imaging datasets. The NIC faculty will work closely with project principal investigators to properly[unreadable] apply imaging methods to accomplish the proposed specific aims. In addition to this primary responsibility,[unreadable] as a core facility, the NIC will also develop novel techniques to support current and future missions of the[unreadable] BITREC. These will include developing fully automated real-time fMRI guided MR spectroscopy for[unreadable] integrating fMRI and MRS data; 31P-MRS multivoxel techniques; and developing novel cognitive probes for[unreadable] advanced fMRI research and the study of bipolar disorder. The NIC will provide common imaging and[unreadable] spectroscopic tools, thereby permitting comparisons across projects, as well as supporting each project's[unreadable] specific goals. By so doing, the NIC provides another means of integrating activities within the proposed[unreadable] BITREC.