Improving tools for analyzing infant brain scans
Official title: Continued Development of Infant Neuroimaging Analysis Tools
Funded at Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill · NIH-11140142 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is working on improving brain scan analysis tools for babies to better understand their brain development, especially for those at risk of conditions like autism, using a lot of existing MRI data.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project start | March 1, 2025 |
| Project end | December 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $530,511 |
| NIH project number | 1R01EB037388-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11140142 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research include infants and young children who are at risk for or diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorders, particularly autism.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are older than 21 years or those without neurodevelopmental concerns may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on enhancing neuroimaging analysis tools specifically for infants, addressing the unique challenges of analyzing brain scans from this age group. By utilizing large-scale MRI datasets from various projects, the team aims to develop advanced techniques that can accurately assess brain development in infants, particularly in relation to neurodevelopmental disorders like autism. The project will build upon existing tools that have already processed thousands of infant scans, aiming to expand their capabilities to include more complex brain structures such as the cerebellum.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to better diagnostic tools for identifying neurodevelopmental disorders in infants, ultimately improving early intervention strategies.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown success in developing neuroimaging tools for adults, but this approach for infants is relatively novel and untested.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wang, Li — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Wang, Li
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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.