Biophysical Signal Prediction for Translation of Population Neuroimaging

Over the past decade, scientists have initiated brain imaging studies at the population scale, collecting MRI alongside detailed lifestyle, genetic, and health measures. These population databases can provide rich new insights, including how the brain ages, early markers of brain diseases, and better understanding of how diseases develop. However, relating these findings to new patient scans in hospitals is challenging because measures obtained on different scanners are not directly comparable, requiring "translation" from one scanner to another. This project will take advantage of our combined knowledge of the physics of MRI and the biology of brain tissue to produce a biophysical approach to translation. We will first identify the biological factors that drive imaging results, then design clinical scans that are sensitive to these factors, and finally produce mathematical transformations that enable direct comparison to population databases. This work will translate knowledge from population studies into clinical practice.