The Neuroimaging Core (NIC) fulfills the requirement for a """"""""Research Methods Core"""""""" described in the CIDAR Program Announcement (PA05-039);the NIC will provide Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Spectroscopy (MRS) to the BITREC. The NIC will be based in the University of Cincinnati (UC) Center for Imaging Research (CIR). The CIR employs a number of physicians, MR physicists and neuroscientists, as well as a business administrator, MR engineer, MR technician, software programmer, and IT technician to support its day-to-day operations. Dr. Lee, an Associate Director and the senior physicist of the CIR, will be the Director of the NIC. He will oversee overall core function and novel technology development. He will also supervise any MRI system upgrades to ensure that these do not impact on our ability to achieve BITREC objectives. The NIC will be organized into two divisions reflecting its primary activities. The MRS division, directed by Dr. Komoroski, with Dr. Chu serving as Assistant Director, will provide for MRS technical development, data processing, and data analysis for the BITREC. The MRI division, directed by Dr. Eliassen, will provide for fMRI data processing and analysis as well as for the development of novel neuropsychological probes required by the BITREC. NIC faculty will also work with the Biostatistics Division of the Operations and Clinical Assessment Core in order to develop novel methods to integrate and analyze clinical and imaging datasets. The NIC faculty will work closely with project principal investigators to properly apply imaging methods to accomplish the proposed specific aims. In addition to this primary responsibility, as a core facility, the NIC will also develop novel techniques to support current and future missions of the BITREC. These will include developing fully automated real-time fMRI guided MR spectroscopy for integrating fMRI and MRS data;31P-MRS multivoxel techniques;and developing novel cognitive probes for advanced fMRI research and the study of bipolar disorder. The NIC will provide common imaging and spectroscopic tools, thereby permitting comparisons across projects, as well as supporting each project's specific goals. By so doing, the NIC provides another means of integrating activities within the proposed BITREC.
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