NINDS Center Core for Brain Imaging

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal is to create the NINDS Center Core for Brain Imaging (NCCBI) at Washington University. The goal of this Center will be to enhance the quality, diversity and utilization of neuroimaging research at our institution. With the creation of the NCCBI we will be able achieve the following specific aims: 1. Neuroscientists with little or no previous imaging experience and minimal access to imaging resources will be able to augment their research with new human or animal brain imaging experiments using state-of-the art technologies and analyses. We identify ten NINDS-funded research projects (eight of which are qualifying projects as defined by the program announcement) headed by investigators in this category. 2. Neuroscientists with imaging experience and ongoing imaging projects will, as a group, be able to substantially expand the type of imaging measures they obtain, improve the quality of the imaging data, and increase the efficiency of their imaging research. We identify 22 NINDS-funded research projects (14 of which are qualifying projects) headed by investigators in this category. The NCCBI will be created with three cores to achieve these aims: an Administrative Core, Radiochemistry Core, and Imaging Core. The Administrative Core will a) insure a high level of communication between the core faculty and the neuroscience community, b) administer the funding and personnel resources through an Executive Committee, c) accept new users and set priorities for Core activities through a Steering Committee, d) organize a Lecture Series including Visiting Lecturers, and e) maintain a Web page for faculty and users to enable ongoing discussions on imaging applications. The Radiochemistry Core will establish a radiochemistry laboratory to enable translational neuroscience research with PET radiotracers. This will be achieved with a) utilization of new space within the East building cyclotron-radiochemistry facility to support PET research in the neurosciences, b) construction of automated synthesis systems dedicated to the research needs of the investigators participating in the NCCBI, and c) hiring of new personnel for design, maintenance and running of radiopharmaceutical production. The Imaging Core will provide a broad spectrum of services to increase availability of brain imaging research including a) Training Series and consultation on design and implementation of new imaging research protocols, b) central data management tools for image data, c) access to automated and semi-automated processing routines for both PET and MR data, and d) assistance in the validation and propagation of new imaging techniques as they are developed, including those in diffusion-tensor imaging, diffusion-tensor tracking, and MRS.