Development and optimization of tools for the study of human brain anatomical connectivity using high angular resolution diffusion MRI

Friday, September 7th, seven Juniors and Seniors from Mozart School, along with their Physics teacher, Pablo Beltrán, attended to talks organized by the Department of Informatics Engineering and Computer Sciences. First, professor Javier Vidal showed projects made in a practical subject, by freshmen of Informatics Civil Engineering, where they use the Arduino platform. Then, the master's student, Andrea Vásquez, and the Biomedical Civil Engineering student, Felipe Silva, presented the study of the brain made by the Medical Image Analysis Group, led by professor Pamela Guevara, in collaboration with professor Cecilia Hernández. After the description of neurons, brain fibers, and the brain in general, they showed results of the FONDECYT 1161427 and CONICYT PIA/"Anillo de Investigación en Ciencia y Tecnología ACT172121" Projects. In particular, a method for the fast clustering of brain fibers obtained with Difussion Magnetic Resonance Imaging was presented, as well as the study of their connectivity and visualization. This extension activity had the goal of motivating the students towards Computing and its relation with other areas.

In the last months, various students from the Medical Images Analysis Group have defended their works, which have been developed in the context of the FONDECYT 1161427 Project. In the month of July, Andrea Vásquez, presented her Masters in Computer Science Thesis proposal, titled: "Efficient method for the clustering of brain fibers based on parallel algorithm on GPU", codirected by professor Cecilia Hernández. In the month of August, Narciso López defended his PhD in Computer Science Thesis proposal, titled: "Parcellation of the brain cortex from the segmentation of short fiber fascicles". Two students also defended their Biomedical Civil Engineering Thesis: Ignacio Espinoza, with his work "Virtual Reality Software for the 3D Exploration of the Brain", and Daniela Pinto, with the topic "Segmentation of short Brain Fibers based on its form starting from Difussion Magnetic Resonance Imaging images". All of these works contribute with the objective of developing tools that allow for a more detailed study of the brain connectivity, both in healthy subjects, as in patients.

Researcher Wael El-Deredy, from the University of Valparaíso, visited us to conduct a Workshop about Functional Magnetic Resonance (fMRI) Image Analysis through SPM software. Some student members of the Medical Image Analysis Group attended. Professor Wael El-Deredy is an expert in the study of brain dynamics based on Electroencephalography (EEG) signals and fMRI. The Workshop was carried out in the context of collaboration given by the ANILLO ACT 172121 project, "Neural Mechanisms of Brain Self-regulation with Brain-Machine Interfaces and Application to Addiction", directed by Pontifical Catholic University of Chile researcher, Dr. Ranganatha Sitaram, where Dr. Wael El-Deredy and Dr. Pamela Guevara are titular researchers, along with other researchers. The objective is to integrate fMRI analysis with the studies of estructural connectivity developed by the Medical Image Analysis Group, at University of Concepción.

Four students of Saint John's School completed a 2-day internship in activities of Biomedical Civil Engineering. During the afternoon of Thursday, August 1st, 2018, the students learned, with professor Pamela Guevara, about the Processing of Medical Images and Brain Study. They also had two workshops, related to these subjects, and the projects FONDECYT Regular 1161427 and ANILLO ACT172121. The first workshop was directed by the student Ignacio Espinoza, who showed his Virtual Reality Software for the exploration of the brain, developed in Unity. The second workshop was directed by the Ph.D. student Claudio Román, who explained the bases of Magnetic Resonance for the study of brain fibers, using DSI Studio software.