The long-term goal of the Center for Brain Imaging is to better understand human brain functioning using integrative neuroimaging and statistical and computational modeling methods. We believe it is essential to understand the complexity of brain function and its development in order to develop effective treatments. We have four research themes: human brain functional patterns and their development; reliable neuroimaging measures; functional patterns in animal models; the links between specific psychological processes and brain function and the means by which mental and neurodegenerative diseases disrupt brain function. We use modern neuroimaging techniques (MRI, fMRI, PET, fNRIS) to map the three levels of intrinsic functional brain architecture – regions; subnetworks; and the entire brain. We then direct our investigations to brain development within different stages of life, to computational simulation of the brain’s neural connections and to clinical psychology and psychiatry guided by our neuroimaging results. We are working on several disease models, including Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia and autism, as well as on the effects of aging and spinal cord injury. Our research is currently funded by the National Institute on Aging and the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, the National Science Foundation, the New Jersey Commission on Spinal Cord Research and the N.J. Governor’s Council for Medical Research and Treatment of Autism.

Type
Center