Enhanced Neuroimaging Infrastructure for Innovative Visual Neuroscience

约克大学在视觉神经科学的前沿研究方面处于世界领先地位。约克大学视觉研究中心（CVR）是全球领先的从事人类视觉神经成像研究的机构，并指导学生和早期职业科学家使用最先进的视觉神经科学方法。约克大学NSERC资助的合作研究和培训经验（CREATE）项目专注于“大脑在行动”，为高素质的研究生和博士后学员提供资金、资源和国际合作机会。约克大学的视觉：科学到应用（VISTA）计划，由加拿大第一研究卓越基金（CFREF）资助，已投资数百万美元招募世界领先的科学家到约克大学的视觉神经科学教师团队；为研究生和博士后提供奖学金、奖学金和培训资源；并升级约克核磁共振成像设施的核磁共振扫描仪，以提供最先进的神经成像研究和培训中心。为了充分利用这些特殊的投资，约克MRI设施迫切需要增强的神经成像工具和基础设施。这一建议的重点是“行动中的视觉”——理解现实世界背景下的视觉功能，从感觉到感知，从感知到行动。这个创新的研究项目旨在促进我们对视觉-运动整合的理解；大脑中物体、特征和运动感知的功能分离；神经可塑性与视觉引导学习；视觉导航与空间认知；以及视觉引导注意力在衰老和脑部疾病中的作用。成功取决于创新，创造生态有效的视觉刺激，从导航现实世界的3D环境到精确的视觉运动到达和掌握MRI扫描仪中的学习。然而，由于2019冠状病毒病大流行，MRI设施关闭了两年，自重新开放以来，多个研究项目被搁置，直到所需的MRI相关设备可以更换、升级和/或购买。所要求的基础设施包括：1)核磁共振兼容的高清LCD屏幕和2)精密视觉神经科学研究所必需的最先进的远程眼动追踪系统；3)数据协调、再现性和开放科学所需的高通量MR数据分析计算基础设施。这些基础设施投资的总体目标是提高约克大学在视觉神经科学研究方面的全球领先地位，并优化下一代神经科学家的培训。

York University has emerged as a world leader in cutting edge visual neuroscience research. York's Centre for Vision Research (CVR) is a leading institute worldwide engaged in neuroimaging research of human vision, and mentoring students and early career scientists in the most advanced vision neuroscience methods. York's NSERC funded Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) program focussing on "the Brain in Action" provides funding, resources, and international collaboration opportunities for highly qualified graduate and postdoctoral trainees. York's Vision: Science to Applications (VISTA) Program, funded by the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF), has invested millions of dollars to recruit world-leading scientists to York's team of vision neuroscience faculty; provide scholarships, fellowships, and training resources to graduate and postdoctoral trainees; and to upgrade the MRI scanner at the York MRI Facility to provide a state-of-the art neuroimaging research and training centre. In order to fully capitalize on these exceptional investments, enhanced neuroimaging tools and infrastructure are critically needed at the York MRI facility. This proposal focuses on `vision in action' - understanding visual functioning in real world contexts, from sensation to perception, and from perception to action. This innovative research program aims to advance our understanding of visual-motor integration; functional segregation of object, feature, and motion perception in the brain; neuroplasticity and visually guided learning; visually-guided navigation and spatial cognition; and visually-guided attention in aging and brain disease. Success depends on innovation, creating ecologically valid visual stimuli, from navigating real world 3D environments to precision visual-motor reach and grasp learning in the MRI scanner. However, since reopening the MRI Facility after a two-year closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, multiple research projects are on hold until the required MRI related equipment can be replaced, upgraded, and/or acquired. The requested infrastructure includes: 1) an MRI compatible high-definition LCD screen and 2) a state-of-the-art remote eye-tracking system, necessary for precision-visual neuroscience research; and 3) high throughput MR data analysis computing infrastructure necessary for data harmonization, reproducibility, and open science. The overarching goal of these infrastructure investments is to enhance York's status as a global leader in visual neuroscience research and optimize the training of next-generation neuroscientists.