will take place on Tuesday, October 8th, 2024 from 16:00 to 17:00 hours in CBBM Building, Ground Floor, Seminar Room Levi-Montalcini.
Abstract: My talk will explore the potential of MRI as a non-invasive method for mapping the microstructure of the human brain. The presentation will illustrate how MRI can generate three-dimensional images of the brain with high resolution and flexible contrast. By pairing MRI with biophysical models, these images can be converted into quantitative maps to highlight microstructural features of the tissue. The talk will introduce basic MRI contrast mechanisms and discuss biophysical models commonly used in neuroscience to map myelin, cell and fiber properties. The importance and caveats of validating MRI-based measures against gold standard histology will be emphasized. The presentation will conclude with a discussion on the need for careful interpretation of findings, considering the underlying model or data acquisition assumptions, limitations of the data, and their reliability and reproducibility.
