Events:August 2008 NCBC AHM

Agenda

There will be a all hands meeting for the NCBC program at NIH.

• The dates are August 13-14 and the location will be on the NIH campus
• Wednesday - August 13th, 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM
  • 8:30 - 8:45 AM, Opening Remarks from Dr. Zerhouni, Natcher Auditorium
  • 8:45 - 10:15 AM NCBC Presentations from PIs (Ron, 10 minutes)
  • 10:15 - 10:30 AM Big P and Building Bridges Summary (Russ Altman)
  • 10:30 - 11:00 AM Break
    • PI Meeting with Drs. Zerhouni, Berg, Lindberg, Natcher A
  • 11:00 - 12:15 PM Presentations from Jr. Faculty Natcher Auditorium (Tom Fletcher: 10 Minutes)
  • 12:15 - 1:30 PM Working Lunch
  • 1:30 - 3:30 PM "Hot Topic" Presentations Natcher Auditorium (30 Mins - Ross Whitaker - "NAMIC Highlights: From Algorithms and Software to Science")
  • 3:30 - 3:45 PM Break
  • 3:45 - 5:15 PM "Hot Topic" Presentations continued
  • 5:15 - 5:30 PM NCBC Q&A Session
  • 5:30 - 6:30 PM PI Meeting with Project team, Natcher A
• Thursday - August 14th, 9:00 AM - 12:15 PM
  • 9:00 - 10:15 AM Presentations from each Center, Natcher Auditorium (teaser for the Science Fair, Will Schroeder)
  • 10:15 - 12:00 Noon "Science Fair" Natcher A, B, C1/C2 (Sonia Pujol)
  • 12:00 - 12:15 PM NCBC Q&A and Adjournment Natcher Auditorium
  • 12.15 - 1.15 PM Lunch (Conference ends for all but PIs) DBP discussion: Diabetes, MH, others
  • 1.15 - 3:00 PM Moderated Discussions with other NIH Programs: PIs: CaBIG, CTSA, BIRN, NIH Clinical Center, others

Preparation

1) A short summary of the original and renewal DBPs (this will also be used in the DBP sig breakout session). Basically title and one paragraph description.

During the first three years of NA-MIC, Core 3 consisted of four DBPs which were grouped into two thrusts. Thrust 1 was directed by Drs. Shenton (DBP1) and Saykin (DBP2). The focus of this thrust was to utilize neuroimaging tools to evaluate fronto-temporal connectivity abnormalities in schizophrenia, as well as abnormalities in hemispheric connections (i.e., corpus callosum), and abnormalities in the anterior limb of the internal capsule. Improved segmentation techniques, coregistration of structural MRI, DTI-MR, and fMRI, as well as novel processing tools for evaluating white matter fiber tracts and interregional functional connectivity were needed to accomplish these goals, and they were developed in conjunction with Cores 1 and 2. Findings from this project, which involve both structural and functional information about brain abnormalities in schizophrenia, were correlated with neurocognitive, clinical, and behavioral data in order to understand further the relationship between brain abnormalities and cognition/behavior in schizophrenia. Common imaging, cognitive, and clinical measures were used across both sites (DBP1 and DBP2). (See Publication Pages on NA-MIC for specific details regarding findings.) Thrust 2 was directed by Drs. Steven Potkin (DBP3) and James Kennedy (DBP4). The main thrust of this core was to utilize improved segmentation, co-registration, statistics, and circuitry analysis tools to evaluate abnormal brain networks in schizophrenia. The dorsal prefrontal cortex and its associated local and distal connections are viewed as key to understanding schizophrenia. Abnormalities in dorsal prefontal cortex structure and function, either primary or secondary to its many connected regions, as revealed by MRI, are viewed as explaining various characteristics of the illness. It is well documented that schizophrenia is heritable; therefore, the genetic contribution was also considered by developing innovative methods in conjunction with Cores 1 and 2, to combine imaging data, genetic data, neurocognitive data, and clinical profiles.

Starting with the 4th year of NA-MIC, the DBPs were shifted from schizophrenia to lupus, autism, velocardiofacial syndrome (VCSF), and prostate cancer. These DBPs now drive the computational research within NA-MIC. Specifically: Drs. Jeremy Bockholt and Charles Gasparovi at the MIND Institute and the University of New Mexico are analyzing brain lesions in Neuropsychiatric Systemic Lupus Erythematosis, Drs. Heather Hazlett and Joseph Piven at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill are conducting a longitudinal MRI study of early brain development in Autism, Dr. Marek Kubicki at Harvard Medical School is investigating VCSF as a genetic model for schizophrenia, and Dr. Gabor Fichtinger at Queens University is developing a robotic percutaneous surgery system for treatment of prostate cancer.

2) A few key journal publications that have emerged directly from each center (say the top 5 per center). These should not be presented in a center-specific context but just to show the volume and quality of scientific production. You should be able to get these directly from your progress reports.

3) Some statistics of publications: total number in the last year or cumulative. Again, these should be presented in aggregate rather than by center.

• 198 cumulative. http://www.na-mic.org/pages/Special:Publications?collection=12

4) A list of tools produced by the center with one or two highlights where you have high volume download or many journal citations.

• NA-MIC Kit, which includes Slicer

5) List of conferences/meetings where people in your center have explicitly advertised or demoed the NCBC’s activities.

• MICCAI, RSNA, Human Brain Mapping, IGT Workshops at NIH

6) Newsletters, conferences, and other activities promoted by the centers.

• The semi-annual hands-on event called the "NA-MIC Project Week".