Neuroimaging Acquisition and Analysis Core The Neuroimaging Acquisition and Analysis Core will be the only core facility dedicated to human brain research in the state of Nebraska, and the only research core facility of the Cognitive Neuroscience of Development and Aging (CONDA) Center. This new Core Facility will provide neuroimaging infrastructure and analysis expertise to four institutions concentrated in a narrow stretch of downtown Omaha: the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), the Boys Town National Research Hospital, the University of Nebraska ? Omaha, and Creighton University. The Core will house a collection of state-of-the-art, research-dedicated neuroimaging and neurostimulation equipment, including a 306-sensor magnetoencephalography (MEG) system, a 3.0T Siemens Prisma magnet with high-performance gradients and a 64-channel head coil, new electrical and magnetic brain stimulation equipment, extensive high-performance computing resources, and other tools for advanced cognitive neuroscience research. The associated equipment and space has underwent significant renovations and upgrades during the past three years, and already serves a rich community of users comprised of members of multiple research programs led by established PIs with significant NIH, NSF, and/or foundation awards. The Core will also play a vital role in all four of the primary COBRE research projects, nurture the emergence of new research through the Pilot and Mini-Grant programs of the CONDA Center, and host instructional workshops and other training events. Thus, the Core?s community of users is expected to significantly increase throughout Phase I. The Core Facility will be directed by Dr. Tony Wilson (UNMC) who is an internationally- known expert with extensive experience in multimodal imaging, brain stimulation, and advanced data analytics. In summary, the combination of cognitive neuroscience, advanced neuroimaging, cognitive development, and brain and cognitive aging will create excellent opportunities for synergistic interactions within the new Core Facility, and these will spark new research ideas and programs, which will further grow the Core and the CONDA Center as a whole.
