"Novel Acquisition Techniques, Contrast Mechanisms & Data Analysis Algorithms for Studying Regional Differences in fMRI Sensitivity"

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2011 marks the twentieth anniversary of the first published research in human functional MRI (fMRI). Since that time many thousands of articles have been published describing and using fMRI, however, significant challenges remain. This research program aims to address some of these challenges by developing and optimizing new functional neuroimaging techniques that will provide advanced capabilities, as well as improving understanding of the biophysical mechanisms that generate image contrast. The driving hypothesis to this work is that high field imaging advances exist at the interface between physics and neuroscience. In particular, this program will explore techniques for functional mapping of brain regions with neuro-vascular/hemodynamic properties that differ from areas that are traditionally studied with fMRI (e.g. white matter, cortical structures near lesions etc). A sequential series of research projects will be used; starting with advanced MRI acquisition techniques, followed by developing and benchmarking data analysis methods, and then utilizing both these advances to improve our understanding of regional and global differences in fMRI sensitivity/specificity due to differing biophysical properties.