BrainAnalyzIR: a user-friendly software to improve brain signal analysis with fNIRS
Official title: Brain AnalyzIR: A software platform for improving scientific rigor in functional NIRS statistical analysis
Funded at State University New York Stony Brook · NIH-11529341 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A software tool called Brain AnalyzIR helps researchers get more accurate results from a non-invasive brain scan method (fNIRS) by addressing data noise and motion artifacts.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | State University New York Stony Brook NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stony Brook, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2019 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $307,935 |
| NIH project number | 7R01EB028248-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11529341 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable (the grant is focused on software for researcher use in brain imaging; patients may benefit indirectly through more reliable research findings).
✕Less likely to help
Direct patient participation is not required for this grant.
What this research studies
This grant supports ongoing development of Brain AnalyzIR, a MATLAB-based toolbox created to handle the unique statistical challenges of fNIRS data. It focuses on reducing false positives and improving reproducibility by correcting for serial correlations, heavy-tailed noise from motion, and spatial noise from probe placement. The project aims to make the software more accessible, add user-requested features, and support over a hundred end-users who already rely on it for brain research. By enhancing analysis rigor in fNIRS studies, it helps researchers obtain more reliable insights about brain function.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this tool could lead to more trustworthy fNIRS findings and faster scientific progress in neuroscience research involving brain function.
How similar studies have gone: The toolbox builds on prior fNIRS-specific methods and addresses known limitations to improve rigor and reproducibility in the field.
Where this research is happening
-
State University New York Stony Brook
Stony Brook, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Huppert, Theodore James — State University New York Stony Brook
- Study coordinator: Huppert, Theodore James
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.