A cutting-edge radio-frequency coil for structural and functional MRI of the primate brain at ultra-high magnetic field

我们要求一个尖端的射频（RF）线圈定制的警觉和麻醉灵长类动物的大脑在高磁场（7特斯拉）的结构和功能MRI，MRI兼容的椅子警觉灵长类动物的功能MRI，和MRI兼容的灵长类动物床在麻醉状态下使用。所要求的设备将支持七个研究灵长类动物大脑的优秀研究实验室。这些研究项目包括评估、优化和验证基于MRI的非侵入性方法，用于分割大脑;高分辨率结构MRI，用于研究手控制和运动皮层和深部核团可塑性的神经机制;精确引导电极到深部前庭核团;用于理解前庭信号处理的小脑深部核团的高保真MRI;开发、优化和验证PET数据的解剖学引导3D重建的新方法;以及用于经颅电刺激期间电流分布精确建模的高分辨率MRI。麦吉尔大学和蒙特利尔大学共同组成了世界上最大的灵长类动物大脑研究实验室社区之一（约占加拿大所有此类实验室的60%）。所要求的射频线圈将是加拿大首个此类线圈。目前所有的研究项目都使用标准的射频线圈，用于对人体头部进行成像。然而，线圈元件远离非人类灵长类动物的头部，因为其相对于人类头部的尺寸较小。对所要求的RF线圈的需求已经出现，因为神经科学界已经意识到，为了了解大脑功能，需要在系统神经科学和神经成像之间建立桥梁。所要求的射频线圈将使我们的实验室能够继续在全球范围内领先灵长类动物的大脑研究。在一个由男性PI主导的领域，我们的团队包括2名女性PI，一名来自代表性不足的少数民族的PI和5名男性PI。申请人的实验室共接待了42名研究生和博士后研究员，其中包括18名女性受训人员和9名代表性不足的少数族裔受训人员。我们的学员将获得学术界和高科技产业部门高度要求的技能，包括动物训练，尖端MRI和定量方法的技能，包括图像和信号处理，统计学，人工智能和神经导航。使用所要求的RF线圈获得的数据将丰富我们的学员的专业数据采集和简单分析，以及那些谁专门从事高层次的医学图像分析，在学术界和高科技生物医学成像行业开放的机会。

We request a cutting-edge radio-frequency (RF) coil custom-made for structural and functional MRI of the alert and anesthetized primate brain at a high magnetic field (7 Tesla), an MRI-compatible chair for alert primate functional MRI, and an MRI-compatible primate bed for use in the anesthetized state. The requested equipment will support seven excellent research laboratories that investigate the primate brain. The research projects span evaluation, optimization, and validation of non-invasive MRI-based methods for parcellating the brain; high-resolution structural MRI to study the neuronal mechanisms underlying hand control and plasticity of the motor cortex and deep nuclei; precise guidance of electrodes to the deep vestibular nuclei; high-fidelity MRI of the deep cerebellar nuclei for understanding the processing of vestibular signals; development, optimization, and validation of novel methods for anatomically-guided 3D reconstruction of PET data; and high-resolution MRI for precise modeling of the electric current distribution during transcranial electrical stimulation. McGill University and U de Montreal together form one of the largest communities of primate brain research laboratories in the world (approximately 60% of all such laboratories in Canada). The requested RF coil will be the first of its kind in Canada. All research programs currently use a standard RF coil designed for imaging the human head. However, the coil elements are far from the head of the non-human primate, because of its smaller size relative to the size of the human head. The need for the requested RF-coil has emerged because the neuroscience community has realized that to understand brain function, bridges are required between systems neuroscience and neuroimaging. The requested RF-coil will make it possible for our laboratories to continue leading primate brain research worldwide. In a field that is dominated by male PIs, our group includes 2 female PIs, one PI from an underrepresented minority, and five male PIs. The laboratories of the applicants host collectively 42 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, including 18 female trainees and 9 trainees of underrepresented minorities origin. Our trainees will acquire skills that are highly demanded in academia and the high-tech industry sector, including skills in animal training, cutting-edge MRI, and quantitative methods, including image and signal processing, statistics, artificial intelligence, and neuronavigation. The data obtained using the requested RF-coil will enrich the repertoire available to our trainees who specialize in acquiring data and simple analysis, as well as those who specialize in high-level medical image analysis, opening opportunities in academia and the high-tech biomedical imaging industry.