Collaborative Research: Unraveling the structure of cerebral cortex gray matter with diffusion MRI

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。在这个项目中，pi建议使用无创扩散敏感磁共振成像（MRI）来研究大脑皮层的结构。在宏观尺度上，人类大脑皮层由大约50个独立的区域组成，这些区域具有独特的结构，只有在微观水平上才能识别出来，但它们非常重要，因为每个区域都对应着一种特殊的功能。然而，这些基本的区分是不可能用现代MRI来辨别的。最近，其中一个pi在脑白质纤维通路的MRI上取得了巨大的进展，使用扩散谱MRI或DSI获得了人类大脑或连接组的大规模纤维连接。该合作项目的目的是通过开发和验证扩散MRI方法来成像离散皮质灰质区域的内在结构和连通性，将DSI从白质扩展到灰质。本科、博士和博士后水平的学生将在与其他两个合作实验室的互动中接受跨学科培训。通过这种方式，学生将在本项目的跨学科方法上得到训练，熟悉现代神经科学、神经成像和凝聚态物理的概念的思想和方法。此外，这些研究将引起科学媒体和公众的兴趣。这些研究提供了一个机会，展示神经科学，它的目标，方法和用途，给广大的普通观众，无论是国内还是国际。目前的建议混合了不同的学科，因此为学生教育提供了丰富的机会。在美国国家科学基金会杰出教师学者奖（DTS）的支持下，Stanley的研究小组将继续与高中生和大学非科学专业的学生密切合作，设计实践活动，鼓励学生提出问题，更好地理解实践科学家的活动。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). In this project the PIs proposes to investigate the structure of the cerebral cortex with noninvasive diffusion-sensitive Magnetic Resonance imaging (MRI). At macroscopic scale, the human cerebral cortex consists of an estimated 50 or so discrete areas of distinct structure identifiable only at the microscopic level but of immense importance as each corresponds to a specialized function. These fundamental divisions, however, are impossible to discern with contemporary MRI. Recently, one of the PIs made a dramatic progress in MRI of the fiber pathways of cerebral white matter using diffusion spectrum MRI or DSI to obtain a large-scale fiber connectivity of the human brain, or the connectome. The aim of this collaborative project is to extend DSI from white matter into the gray matter by developing and validating a diffusion MRI methodology to image the intrinsic structure and connectivity of discrete cortical gray matter areas. Undergraduate, doctoral and post-doctoral level students will receive interdisciplinary training in their interactions with the other two collaborative labs. In this way students will be trained in the cross-disciplinary methods of this project, obtaining hands on familiarity with the ideas and methods of modern neuroscience, neuroimaging, and concepts of condensed matter physics. Additionally, these studies will be of interest to the scientific media and public. These studies offer an opportunity to present neuroscience, its goals, methods, and uses, to a broad general audience, both nationally and internationally. The present proposal mixes diverse disciplines and so offers a fertile opportunity for student education. Under the auspices of the NSF Distinguished Teacher Scholar (DTS) Award, co-PI Stanley's research group will continue to work intensely with high school students and with college non-science majors through designing hands-on activities that encourage the student to ask questions and better understand the activities of a practicing scientist.