The 5 aims of the Visual Brain Core

The study of vision and visual plasticity using a human model requires expertise from multiple domains, from recruitment and dealing with patients and participants, to writing sophisticated computer code for analysis of functional MRI data. The visual brain core will facilitate research in 5 ways:

1.	The core will facilitate interactions among investigators through a regularly scheduled “methods” workshop, centered around the development and implementation of state-of-the-art methods for analysis of brain data.

2.	Help set up project workflows to efficiently process data. To do this, the core will help labs develop a coherent framework for computing resources, storage, and backup for the large datasets required by neuroimaging studies and help provide computer systems support.

3.	Investigators will have access to an imaging researcher for assistance developing and learning complex data analysis tools used in the analysis of high dimensional, large-scale vision and brain datasets, and designing appropriate analysis protocols. This researcher will not perform your data analysis, but will consult with you about how to implement the analysis and experiment.

4. An efficient and accessible system for investigators will be set up to recruit and retain participants for visual neuroscience research, including persons with specific disorders impacting vision and those in normal health.

5.	Visual Brain Core will purchase equipment to generate visual displays allowing defined and controlled stimulus characteristics for studies for use in functional MRI experiments.

Our goal is to create a sustainable resource for facilitating research into the visual brain. As such, we ask that all users of the resource include some percentage of support for core resources in their grant proposals. Without consistent support of this type, the core will not be able to be maintained. Please see our website for information you can cut and paste into your grant application regarding the components of the visual brain core. Also, please cite the Visual Brain Core when publishing work based on help from the core. The correct citation in published work is “This work was supported by a grant from the General Endowment Fund of the University of Alabama Health Services Foundation.”

back to Brain Core page