In Vivo Imaging Core

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

PROJECT SUMMARY: IN VIVO IMAGING MODULE The Vanderbilt Vision Research Center (VVRC) includes faculty investigators with a strong interest in discerning structure-function and function-cognition relationships in the visual pathways in awake animals, including non-human primates, and human subjects. The purpose of the VVRC In Vivo Imaging Module is to provide a comprehensive resource for all non-invasive imaging research that utilizes animals, including non- human primates, or human subjects. This module gives investigators and their staff access to state-of-the-art live animal and human imaging facilities, offline analysis, and technical expertise through subsidized scholarship use of the Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science (VUIIS). The VUIIS has a core program of research related to developing new imaging technology based on advances in physics, engineering, and computer science. In addition to high-field MRI and MR spectroscopy, ultrasound, optical and other modalities in human subjects, the VUIIS offers state-of-the-art options for small animal and non-human primate imaging in all modalities. These resources are provided through the Center for Human Imaging (Directed by Module Director Seth Smith) and the Center for Small Animal Imaging (CSAI). The scholarship system is implemented by the VUMC Office of Research and is utilized instead of a discount or co-pay via the VUMC ILab accounting system. In the current funding cycle, the In Vivo Imaging Module was used by 11 investigators who authored 89 publications using the service, and saved our investigators $2229,325 through issuance and utilization of 35 scholarships. In the next cycle, we expect moderate to extensive use by 17 of 36 investigators. The In Vivo Imaging Module, housed in centralized locations sufficient for numerous independent non-invasive imaging platforms, is directed by Associate Professor Seth Smith, PhD. Using resources and personnel supported in part by this Core mechanism, the VVRC IN Vivo Imaging Module will (1) develop and deploy advanced, multi-modal imaging technologies to the study of human vision, its processing, and coupled neuroscience, (2) develop and deploy a multi-modal set of imaging tools for the study of vision in animal models, and (3) develop Infrastructure for imaging informatics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning for state-of-the-art analysis of “big vision data”. These services and resources will enhance the scope of experimentation NEI-funded VVRC investigators conduct, expand the training of students and fellows involved in vision science, and promote collaboration by providing sophisticated, high-resolution and diverse imaging platforms to those who otherwise would not have such capabilities, including early-career vision scientists and clinician-scientists competing for extramural funding for their laboratories.