Vascular Brain Imaging Group
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.
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)