NEUROPHYSICS · Methods in Neuroimaging
FP7 — People (Marie Curie Actions)
- Duration
- 2010-01-01 → 2013-12-31
- EU contribution
- €2,912,936
- Participants
- 4
- Scheme
- MC-ITN
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
Methods in Neuroimaging
The Marie Curie Initial Training Network NeuroPhysics (webpage: www.neuro-physics.eu) was set up to specialize 12 early stage researchers (PhD students) and 2 experienced researchers (Postdoctoral fellows) in the (human) neuroimaging field via in-depth integrative training. In doing so, the Neurophysics training network aimed to enable them to contribute in a significant, international and multidisciplinary way to the development of new human imaging frontiers. The network partners were Maastricht University (UM, coordinator), Research Centre Jülich (FZJ) , University of Liege (ULg) and Glaxo-Smith-Kline (GSK). The 12 PhD-students and 2 post-doctoral positions have been divided among the participating institutions, with 3 PhD students working at each of the 4 partners, and with Postdocs assigned to FZJ en UM. The network has fulfilled its research goals (leading to ample dissemination and publication) and educational goals (leading to interdisciplinary scientists and career development) (see also http://www.neuro-physics.eu/). Specifically, in a cutting edge research environment enabling researchers to work with (f)MRI at 3T, 7T and 9.4T, with PET and hybrid PET/fMRI, with EEG and other methods, the network has delivered new imaging hardware (Physics projects), new data acquisition tools (Acquisition projects), new data analysis tools (Analysis projects), and new ways for combining methods of data acquisition (Combination projects). These developments have yielded findings with both fundamental and clinical relevance. The education provided within the network through this research experience, but also through a highly successful Neurophysics Education Program will putting a new brand of scientists on the market who will strongly catalyze progress in the field of brain imaging, and increase the yield of investments in this domain. Together, these realizations bring important positive impact to society, initially in the field of neuroimaging, but ultimately to society at large. As the work carried out in our consortium is intellectually and technologically challenging, the 3-years PhD funding has in most cases proven insufficient to complete projects, and most PhDs are being prolonged by the different partners from other sources. Thanks to these additional investments, all PhD students are fully on track to obtain their degree, and the first two graduations are expected in the next 3-4 months.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
Body and Brain imaging and its methodological development is a fast growing technique, both quantitatively as well as qualitatively. A long term prospective is that the field needs multidisciplinary expertise of internationally oriented young researchers with a profile of a Neuroimaging scientist, as described in one of the many open job positions (Box 1). The Marie Curie Initial Training Network (MC-ITN) “Methods in Neuroimaging” aims to cover these needs at the European continent. The partners propose a unique multidisciplinary and integrative research and training program with a strong focus on methods. The program aims to specialise early stage researchers and experienced researchers via in-depth integrative training. The training network “Methods in Neuroimaging” will enable them to contribute in a significant, international and multidisciplinary way to the development of new imaging frontiers, i.e. to the development and improvement of image quality, paradigms, analysis, application – and efficiency. Overall the MC-ITN has three aims. First, improved disease understanding and new concepts for early diagnosis and therapeutics evaluation through advance in neuroimaging methods and applications. Second, career development and capacity building for a key technology resource: Expertise in advanced imaging is in short supply and limits expanded use and development of facilities. Third, realising greater value from current imaging investments in research and clinical settings. These aims can be accomplished by the proposed research and training program developed by a multidisciplinary network of core partners. These core partners have an excellent, internationally oriented research and teaching reputation and have available world top laboratory facilities. The core contributors are: Maastricht University (Brain Imaging Centre), Research Centre Juelich (MR Physics), University of Liege (Cyclotron Research Centre) and Glaxo-Smith-Kline (Clinical Imaging Centre).
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- UNIVERSITEIT MAASTRICHT · MaastrichtCoordinatorNetherlands
- FORSCHUNGSZENTRUM JULICH GMBH · JULICHGermany
- GLAXOSMITHKLINE RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT LIMITED · LONDONUnited Kingdom
- UNIVERSITE DE LIEGE · LIEGEBelgium
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union