= Brain Image Analysis =
== Research Summary ==
Our  work in brain image analysis is focused on processing of structural  brain images to extract volume and surface representations of  neuroanatomic structures with a particular emphasis on cortical anatomy.  In collaboration with David Shattuck and colleagues at the Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center at UCLA we have developed [[http://brainsuite.org|Brainsuite]]:  software that will automatically extract  a representation of the inner  and outer cortical surface from T1-weighted images. Subsequent analysis  allows coregistration of these surfaces to an atlas either  automatically (using surface curvature) or based on user-drawn sulcal  landmarks. Through mapping of the cerebrum to the unit ball we can then  perform a volumetric coregistration in which there is a one-to-one  mapping between cortical surfaces. We are now in the process of adding  to BrainSuite  ODF visualization, fiber tracking, and interactive visualization of  connectivity using user-defined or atlas-based ROIs. Other aspects of  our on-going work include methods for improved estimation of the ODF  from HARDI data, intersubject coregistration of ODFs, and extensions of  our image analysis tools to accommodate lesioned brains.

== Collaborators ==
 * [[http://shattuck.bmap.ucla.edu|David Shattuck]], Associate Professor, Dept. Neurology, UCLA
 * [[http://dornsife.usc.edu/cf/faculty-and-staff/faculty.cfm?pid=1008329&CFID=1222901&CFTOKEN=45634047|Hanna  Damasio]], University Professor, Dana Dornsife Chair in Neuroscience and  Professor of Psychology and Neurology, Co-Director, USC College Brain and Creativity Institute 
 * Jessica Wisnowski, PhD, Dept. Radiology,  Childrens Hospital, LA.

== Research Support ==
 * P41 RR013642:  COMPUTATIONAL ANATOMY AND MULTIDIMENSIONAL MODELING, '''PI: A. Toga (LONI, UCLA)'''
 * R01 NS074980: INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE FOR SEMIAUTOMATED ANALYSIS OF STRUCTURAL BRAIN IMAGES, '''PI: D. Shattuck (LONI, UCLA)'''
 * NSF BCS-1028389: AUTOMATIC DETECTION OF CORTICAL NETWORKS ACROSS FREQUENCIES IN AUDIOVISAL SPEECH INTEGRATION, '''PI: D. Pantazis (!McGovern Brain Institute, MIT)'''