Topic: UNC/UMN Baby Connectome Project: Lessons Learned and Accomplishments
Speaker: Professor Lin Weili, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC)
Date and time: May 9, 9:00–10:30
Venue: Room 103, BME Building
Host: Zhang Han
Abstract:
The UNC/UMN Baby Connectome Project (BCP), funded by NIH and one of the three Lifespan Connectome Projects, has been a pioneering initiative in the field of developmental neuroscience. The BCP aimed to uncover the intricate dynamics of brain development in typically developing infants and young children during the first years of life. The unique study designs of BCP have played a pivotal role in providing novel insights into early brain development. Specifically, BCP utilized an accelerated longitudinal design to capture the critical period of early brain development, conducted non-sedated MR imaging sessions to non-invasively characterize brain structural and functional maturation, collected comprehensive parent questionnaires and conducted cognitive assessments to discern brain-behavior relations, and, finally, developed novel imaging analysis tools to extract quantitative neuroimaging features. Over the course of the study, the BCP has not only generated a wealth of data, which has been shared widely with the scientific community but has also yielded invaluable lessons and accomplished significant milestones. This presentation will provide an overview of the lessons learned in imaging non-sedated pediatric subjects and accomplishments of the BCP, including insights into early brain connectivity patterns, developmental trajectories of brain regions and networks, and the potential impact on neurodevelopmental disorders. Through advanced neuroimaging and analysis techniques and an accelerated longitudinal design, the BCP has contributed substantially to our understanding of brain development during the critical early years of life, leading to advancements in both basic science and clinical applications. In this presentation, Dr. Lin will highlight the key findings and accomplishments of the UNC/UMN Baby Connectome Project.
Biography:
Dr. Lin is the Dixie Lee Boney Soo Distinguished Professor of Neurological Medicine and the Director of Biomedical Research Imaging Center (BRIC) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The BRIC, an institution center, houses a comprehensive collection of human and small animal imaging scanners as well as a radiochemistry/cyclotron facility capable of synthesizing radiotracers for both human and animal studies. He is a Professor of Radiology, Neurology, Biomedical Engineering, and Pharmacy and serves as the Vice Chair of Basic Research in the Department of Radiology. Dr. Lin’s research interests focus on early brain functional and structural development, developing novel imaging analysis tools, discerning cerebral hemodynamics and oxygen metabolism in patients with neurological diseases and characterizing brain functional, structural and metabolic alternations in patients with dementia. Dr. Lin was the contact PI of the NIH funded Baby Connectome Project, and is the contact PI for the ongoing HEALthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) study at the UNC site, and a co-PI of an ongoing NIH funded project focusing on how environment toxicants could affect early brain development.