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February 5th, 2008- fMRI based wine tasting publication:
Caltech researcher Dr. Antonio Rangel generates national media attention with fMRI based wine tasting publication.
January 16th, 2008- Grad Student Grants for MR Time:
CBIC Grad Student Grants are intended to provide scan time for Caltech graduate student-initiated projects.
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•The Caltech Brain Imaging Center (CBIC) was founded in 2003 through a generous gift form the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. The very ambitious and ultimate mission of the Center is to understand human consciousness. On our way to achieving our mission, the researchers of the CBIC are also perusing several intermediate goals of importance:
• to explore the neural basis of higher brain function, such as consciousness
• to develop new tools for the imaging of brain structure and function
• to train a diverse student/faculty group in the science of brain imaging and functional brain mapping
• to foster interdisciplinary research in brain science
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The Caltech Brain Imaging Center is located in the Broad Center on the northwest corner of the Caltech Campus and offers state of the art equipment to researchers in the field of brain science.
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Researchers at the CBIC use state of the art MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scanners to conduct research studies of the brain and its mechanisms. Our 14,000 square foot main campus facility houses four High-Field MR systems:
(1) Siemens 3T Trio for anatomical, functional, and spectroscopic imaging of human subjects
(2) Bruker 4.7T "vertical field" open architecture animal magnet
(3) Bruker 7T small animal magnet with multimodal Positron Emission Tomography capabilities
(4) Bruker 9.4T small animal magnet with high resolution 3D anatomical and histological imaging
capabilities
The CBIC 3T Siemens human magnet lab supports a multi-disciplinary array of researchers studying the way the brain functions. Several of the research groups use visual and auditory stimuli in conjunction with fMRI techniques to study brain functions. Subjects perform tasks in the scanner ranging from maintaining simple optical fixation to making complex decisions using buttons or key presses. Researchers can use projectors or special goggles to deliver the images to the subject in the scanner. Some groups are studying the emotional responses involved in decision-making; and still others are studying physiologic changes that occur within the brain as part of the neuroeconomic process of making everyday financial decisions.
Functional MRI accessories currently in use at the Center include visual stimulus goggles, multiple projection systems, several types of subject response devices such as buttons or trackballs, and eye-tracking with human subjects. Our "Zero-Tesla" training room has duplicates of most the equipment used in the scan room and a full-scale scanner mock-up to provide an excellent development and testing environment. We offer full physiological monitoring for animal and human subjects large volume data storage and network capabilities (2TB+ of network storage with tape backup). We also have on-site wet chemistry, radioisotope, and electronics labs and a small machine shop to facilitate imaging coil and other hardware development.
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