New Tools for Measuring Dynamic Neurochemistry in the Human Brain


A sandwich lunch will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis.

MRI is now famous in neuroscience for tracking neurovascular markers of function and mapping physical and functional connectivity throughout the human brain. This has been achieved by careful measurement of the properties and movement of one molecule, water. However, if we look past water, the same scanners are sensitive to an array of vital neurochemicals that promise more specific measurement of cell-type-specific structure and metabolism. But the challenge is to 1) overcome the much lower sensitivity due to low concentrations, 2) find tools to interrogate the many overlapping metabolic pathways and cellular compartments in the brain. In this talk I will start with an overview of magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and then talk about how new measurement and analysis tools are tackling these two issues, all whilst integrating MRS data into established neuroimaging pathways.