The research projects proposed in the COBRE Center for Central Nervous System Function involve a wide range of complex neuroimaging and non-invasive brain stimulation methods used both individually and in multiple combinations. These methods include, but are not limited to, structural MRI, task-based and resting state functional MRI, diffusion imaging, transcranial magnetic stimulation, transcranial direct-current and alternating-current stimulation, galvanic skin response, electroencephalography, and eye tracking. The complexity of these techniques and the challenges of mastering the infrastructure required to effectively and efficiently deploy them can significantly impede research progress, especially in the case of relatively junior investigators. The function of the the Behavior and Neuroimaging Core (BNC) is to provide ongoing expert support, training, assistance and advice to the COBRE project leaders in the practical aspects of data collection, data management and data processing related to these methods.
The specific aims of the BNC are (1) to provide support and assistance to COBRE Project Leaders and their research teams to promote and facilitate the acquisition of high quality research data; and (2) to facilitate analysis of COBRE research data through deployment of tools, analysis platforms, and training. To meet these aims, the Core will coordinate the deployment and maintenance of shared research infrastructure to ensure that research equipment is functional well documented. The Core will collect and evaluate quality assurance data to ensure that data collected are of high quality and to identify and correct problems at an early stage. The Core will provide researcher training, individually and in group settings, in order to promote the use of ?best practices? when collecting data using a variety of methods. It will provide expert consultation to Project Leaders to guide their choices regarding the complex and interacting acquisition parameters that must be speci?ed for various acquisition techniques. Working with the Design and Analysis Core of this COBRE Center, the BNC staff will deploy and support new analytical tools and platforms to ensure that researchers have access to state-of-the-art methods and tools for processing their complex data sets. The BNC will create robust data processing pipelines for the analysis of neuroscience research data that leverage the existing and growing computational infrastructure available at Brown. The BNC will assist with data management to ensure that large research datasets are available when needed and protected. In coordination with the Center for Computation and Visualization, the BNC will provide training and support for the use of high-performance computing resources. By meeting these goals, the BNC will (1) accelerate the pace of COBRE research, (2) establish supportive collaborative relationships among COBRE investigators and between COBRE investigators and the local research community based on common solutions to shared challenges, and (3) ensure the availability and accessibility of high quality physical and computational research infrastructure to COBRE investigators and the broader local research community.
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