proj 3 - NINDS INSTIUTIONAL CENTER CORE GRANTS TO SUPPORT NEUROSCIENCE RESEAR

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This proposal is to continue the NINDS Center Core for Brain Imaging (NCCBI) at Washington University. During its five years of operation, the NCCBI has become an integral resource for the University's neuroscience community, and during this time, imaging research has continued to evolve. Neuroimaging studies have become more expansive in terms of the number of research subjects involved, the types of image acquisitions utilized in protocols, the diversity of non-imaging measures that are included, and the extent of image post-processing and analysis that is conducted. The goal of the Center in the next funding cycle is to support the evolving practices of the University's neuroimaging community. The Center will achieve the following specific aims: 1. We will facilitate high throughput, highly interdisciplinary neuroimaging research. A software and hardware infrastructure will be deployed that will unify the imaging facilities, informational resources, and analytic capabilities into an organized and secure research platform. Key components will include DICOM data exchange services, an XNAT-based imaging informatics system, and integrated automated analysis pipelines. This infrastructure will be backed with expert consultation services, comprehensive documentation, and an extensive training program. 2. We will facilitate the transition of emergent imaging and analysis methods into production-grade research assets. A set of imaging methods have been identified that have associated anlysis methods that are at various stages in the development pipelines, including anatomic MRI; diffusion tensor imaging; positron emission tomography studies of flow, metabolism and radioligand binding; arterial spin labeling MRI; and quantitative blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) MRI. Through an iterative process of optimizing, automating, and documenting, we will speed the transition of these methods into investigator-friendly applications. Together these aims encapsulate a sweeping approach to supporting the University's neuroscience community by enabling the current state of the art practices and by advancing the next generation of groundbreaking practices. The NCCBI will include Administration, Informatics, and Analysis cores to achieve these aims.