Peter Bandettini, Ph.D.

Research Topics

Functional MRI (fMRI) is a technique that utilizes the time-series collection of rapidly-obtained magnetic resonance images that are sensitive to brain activation-induced localized hemodynamic changes. Blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) contrast is the most commonly used in fMRI because of its superior sensitivity and implementation efficiency.

The Section on Functional Imaging Methods (SFIM), in the Laboratory of Brain and Cognition (LBC), aims to enhance neuroimaging methods, and specifically MRI, by increasing the information content, functional precision, robustness, and interpretability of the acquired signals. Our group develops and tests novel approaches to fMRI acquisition, brain activation paradigms, processing methods, and multimodal integration. The overall goal is to better understand and utilize neuroimaging methods to increase our understanding of the human brain and to apply these methods and increased understanding to clinical diagnoses and treatments.

Our Section works along several related themes of development and inquiry. The first theme is that of developing and testing fMRI time series analysis using specific brain activation paradigms and physiological perturbations to derive novel information about subject’s cognitive state, task performance, brain physiology, cerebral spinal fluid fluctuations (including glymphatic system activity), as well as the similarities and differences between brain regions, subjects, or populations. The second theme is that of developing and testing novel MRI acquisition strategies and contrasts to enhance or quantify dynamic MRI signal changes during rest, activation, or physiologic manipulations. This second theme includes noise and artifact mitigation approaches including multi-echo fMRI. The third theme is to advance ultra high-resolution imaging at high field (7 Tesla) to better measure and utilize the information associated with cortical layer specific activity. We are engaged in creating and testing activation paradigms and hypotheses that would result in layer activity that is only measurable with layer-specific fMRI. Localizing brain activity at the cortical layer specificity allows the differentiation of feedforward activity from feedback activity, which provides unique insight to the brain’s hierarchal organization, thus enabling deeper insight into brain network organization. The fourth theme is to develop and curate neuroscience questions that most lend themselves to the cutting-edge acquisition and processing methods developed in our section and elsewhere in combination with multimodal measures including eye-tracking; heart and respiratory rate; pupillometry; peripheral measures of blood volume, oxygenation, pressure; behavioral measures; and simultaneous EEG or non-simultaneous EEG, optical imaging, and MEG. Attention to deriving information on similarities and differences between individuals – based on known traits is emphasized in all our themes.

SFIM consists of physicists, engineers, computer scientists, and neuroscientists who are either asking questions about healthy human brain function that push the limits of the technology or are advancing the technology in a way that may enhance our ability to ask deeper questions about the brain.

SFIM is unique in the NIH intramural program because it is focused both on developing methods and on understanding the functional organization and basic physiology of the human brain. We collaborate closely with the fMRI Core Facility, the Scientific and Statistical Computing Core, the Machine Learning team, the Data Sharing team, the Center for Multimodal Neuroimaging, as well as the Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, where the Section on Functional Imaging Methods resides.