EE Colloquium: Probing brain networks in awake rodents

Dr. Nanyin Zhang, Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Chair in Brain Imaging, Penn State, will be the speaker.

Dr. Nanyin Zhang, Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Chair in Brain Imaging, Penn State, will be the speaker.

Additional Information:

Abstract: Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) provides measurement of functional connectivity between brain regions. It provides a powerful tool to characterize the organizational architecture of whole-brain networks. However, several intrinsic issues have limited the potential of rsfMRI from being fully realized. In this presentation I will discuss these issues, and demonstrate that they can be partially solved by integrating rsfMRI with neuromodulation techniques such as optogenetics/chemogenetics in rodent models. 

Bio: Dr. Nanyin Zhang is professor of biomedical engineering and electrical engineering at Penn State. His work has been focused on investigating in vivo brain network organization. His lab has established a platform that integrates neuroimaging, electrophysiology, optogenetics, chemogenetics, and behavioral methods in rodent models. This platform provides multi-dimensional and multi-scale information in the same awake animal’s brain, and integrating this multi-modal information can significantly advance the field in translational studies of brain function.