Vascular Brain Imaging Group

Probing the cerebrovascular structure and function using high-field MRI methods

The mission of the Vascular Brain Imaging group is to develop highly sensitive and precise high-field MRI methods that specifically focus on the cerebrovascular structure and function. These methods are then applied in brain imaging for both healthy individuals and those affected by various diseases.

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Developments encompass hardware, MRI and fMRI data acquisition methods, analysis methods, and biophysical and computational models. Applications encompass neurological and cerebrovascular diseases, neurovascular coupling, and neuroscience.

Principal investigators:

  • Jeroen Siero (PI, Scientific Manager)
    High-field methods to investigate brain physiology related to perfusion, oxygen metabolism, and neurovascular coupling. The focus is on high-resolution and fast and silent scanning using state-of-the-art hardware such as (ultrasonic) insert gradient coils. Jeroen Siero»
  • Jaco Zwanenburg (PI, Scientific Director)
    High-field methods targeting vascular- and intracranial fluid dynamics including brain waste clearance, for the study of cerebral small vessel disease. Jaco Zwanenburg»
  • Natalia Petridou (PI)
    High-field high-resolution functional and structural MRI, neurovascular coupling, neuroscience. Natalia Petridou»
  • Alex Bhogal (PI)

Ongoing research projects

  • Predicting consequences of small vessel disease using machine learning and 7T & 3T MRI for vessel function and tissue structure assessment
  • Clinical CVR and perfusion mapping in ischemic stroke and moyamoya disease
  • Oxygen extraction fraction and perfusion mapping
  • Cerebrovascular reactivity, perfusion and oxygen extraction fraction after radiotherapy of brain tumours
  • Line-scanning for ultra-high spatiotemporal resolution functional MRI
  • Denoising strategies to improve high-resolution fMRI
  • Multi-contrast laminar fMRI (BOLD, VASO, ASL)
  • Ultra-high resolution fMRI & MRI with high density receive arrays & insert gradient
  • Laminar cerebrovascular reactivity (macro/micro-vessels) in health and dementia
  • Imaging (microscopy & MRI) and modeling of the human cortical vasculature
  • Computational modeling of the cortical vascular structure, hemodynamics, and resulting functional MRI signals
  • Characterization & modelling of somatosensory processing to tactile stimuli (Electrocorticography, fMRI, population receptive field (pRF) modeling)


Completed research projects


Our research groups