Brain Imaging Methodological Axis

(PI: Bassem Hiba)

The aim of this axis is to develop and set-up advanced acquisition and post-processing methods for human and non-human primate brain imaging. We will focus our efforts on the development of high-resolution brain MRI pulse-sequences which are presently a crucial issue for medical applications and for neuroscience research. To reach this objective, we developed a high sensitivity MRI pulse sequences based on a 3D-sampling of Fourier-space.

The long acquisition duration and the vulnerability to head motion limits the feasibility of brain high-resolution MRI and particularly for young children and for patients with heavy daises. To overcome these limitations, MRI pulse-sequences based on a 3D-sampling of Fourier-space are combined to appropriated strategies of head-motions compensation.

The developed methods will be used for 

- Cross-species studies of brain connectivity in collaboration with Angela Sirigu's team.

- Multimodal studies of brain connectivity by tractography and direct cortical stimulation in the operating room in humans in collaboration with Michel Desmurget's team.

- Precise characterization of brain development of macaques, in collaboration with Pier Francesco Ferrari's team, and of human infants in collaboration with James Bonaiuto’s team.

The methodological developments of high spatial resolution MRI is carried out on a 3T MRI (Prisma, SIEMENS) in collaboration with CERMEP (the medical imaging platform in Lyon) and with Siemens Healthcare.

Finally, in collaboration with the IT department of the ISC-MJ (Dr. Nathalie Richard and Mr. Sylvain Maurin), a computationally intensive infrastructure dedicated to the reconstruction and post-processing of high-resolution MRI data has been set up.

The team also has high level expertise in ex-vivo MRI of the fixed brain.

Recently and in collaboration with the team of Dr. James Bonaiuto, the team has implemented real-time head movement compensation methods to obtain artefact-free high-resolution MRI in babies as young as 3 months without anaesthesia