Improving reproducibility of functional magnetic resonance imaging

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Both scientists and the general public are starting to recognize the "replication crisis" - that is, scientists do not always get the same results when they repeat the experiments of other scientists. Unfortunately, this seems to be the case more often than not in psychology, with one study finding that 61% of psychology studies cannot be replicated [1]. Recent headlines such as "Psychology's replication crisis is running out of excuses" [2] contribute to public mistrust of science. This can have devastating consequences for society, perhaps now more than ever. In the face of those who deny the safety and efficacy of vaccines, or the impact of human activities on climate change, we have a responsibility to always put science's best foot forward. How can we overcome the replication crisis and restore public confidence in the scientific method? My proposed research will contribute to this goal, by examining and improving reproducibility in a specific area of neuroscience, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). By allowing us to peer into the workings of the human brain without opening the skull, fMRI has revolutionized neuroscience research. This approach has captured the public's attention by providing visually impressive maps that pinpoint the precise location in the brain where certain functions (e.g., retrieving memories) take place. This striking localization power has allowed unprecedented investigations of functional neuroanatomy, that is, linking brain functions to different brain regions. However, like other fields of psychology, the results from fMRI studies cannot always be replicated. My work will investigate the different factors that contribute to fMRI reproducibility. I will attempt to replicate existing fMRI studies to better determine the extent of the reproducibility crisis in fMRI research specifically. I will also develop, distribute, and promote new tools for analyzing fMRI data that will improve reproducibility and allow more meaningful comparisons to be made across fMRI studies. Finally, I will perform experiments that test whether controlling for differences among individuals in behaviour or brain physiology can help improve fMRI reproducibility. Collectively, the outcomes of this work will be a major advance for fMRI. Currently, fMRI is not commonly used in clinical applications, in part because of reproducibility concerns. By improving fMRI reproducibility, we may eventually be able to harness fMRI's exquisite localization of brain function to better diagnosis and track progression of brain diseases, ultimately improving patient care. References [1] Open Science Collaboration. Estimating the reproducibility of psychological science. Science 349, aac4716 (2015). [2] Yong, E. Psychology's Replication Crisis Is Running Out of Excuses. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/11/psychologys-replication-crisis-real/576223/ (2018).