Neural Quantification & Imaging Core

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Abstract/Summary: Neural Quantification & Imaging Core The Neural Quantification & Imaging Core will manage, support, and provide access to the major equipment and resources of the Center for Pediatric Brain Health. It will be the only research core of the Center and will be housed in the new 15,000+ square feet Institute for Human Neuroscience at Boys Town National Research Hospital (BTNRH). The Core will provide critical support and infrastructure to all four of the COBRE research project leaders (RPLs), as well as a collection of established research programs associated with the Institute and across BTNRH more broadly. The key equipment and resources of the Core will include two state-of-the- art Triux Neo magnetoencephalography (MEG) systems for recording and imaging neural oscillations, a 3-Tesla Siemens Prisma MRI scanner equipped with high-performance gradients and a 64-channel head coil for high- resolution structural, functional, diffusion, and spectroscopic imaging, and a realistic mock scanner for helping children and other participants prepare for the claustrophobic and loud MRI environment. In addition, the Core will operationalize a brain stimulation suite, extensive computing and data processing resources, comprehensive analytical support, and in the near future, an ultra-modern optically-pumped magnetometry (OPM) system for advanced neurophysiological measurements. The Neural Quantification & Imaging Core will also host at least two neuroimaging workshops per year, support targeted equipment usage through the Center’s pilot projects program, and serve as the home base for fellows supported through the Center’s postdoctoral neuroimaging training program. The Core will be directed by Dr. Tony Wilson, who is an expert in multimodal neuroimaging with over 20 years of experience with MEG imaging, structural and functional MRI, brain stimulation, and other tools and analytical approaches for advanced human neuroscience research. The Core’s staff will also include a dedicated site engineer/physicist and technicians for the MEG and MRI systems. Financially, the Core will be supported by instrument use fees, BTNRH, and the COBRE, with BTNRH covering any year-to-year deficits and all capital depreciation. As the only Core at BTNRH capable of measuring biological parameters of the living human brain, the facility will fill a major void in the institution’s overall research infrastructure and be a critical component to the success of the Center for Pediatric Brain Health.