The lab’s research so far was aimed at turning MRI into an in vivo microscope for brain ‘static’ microstructure. With this additional ERC grant (1.5M EUR for 5 years), Ileana plans to develop a different technique, FIREPATH, to capture ‘dynamic’ microstructure fluctuations resulting from brain activity. FIREPATH will fill the current gap of detecting activity also in brain white matter and enable a first-of-its-kind comprehensive mapping of brain function on clinical MRI scanners. The functional integrity of white matter withholds tremendous diagnostic and prognostic value for neurosurgical planning, and for neurological and psychiatric diseases.
Microstructure Mapping Lab