Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language, Spain
Group Leader Signal Processing in Neuroimaging (SPIN)

https://www.bcbl.eu/en/conocenos/equipo/cesar-caballero-gaudes

Title: Deciphering neuronal-related activity with functional MRI without timing information: Algorithms and applications.

Abstract:

Functional MRI (fMRI) is a powerful tool for mapping human brain function, but its accuracy relies heavily on precise knowledge of the timing of neuronal-related events. Unfortunately, in various experimental and clinical scenarios, this crucial information can be either inaccurate or entirely unavailable. In this presentation, I will delve into the mathematical principles of a series of hemodynamic deconvolution algorithms that enable a timing-agnostic estimation of neuronal-related activity from functional MRI data. I will showcase how these innovative methods can significantly enhance our ability to detect transient neuronal-related events with unparalleled temporal precision. This breakthrough opens up new horizons for studying brain function during periods of rest and within naturalistic paradigms, such as movie watching, providing insights into the functional significance of these elusive neural activities.

Short Bio:

César Caballero-Gaudes was born in Zaragoza, Spain. He is PI of the Signal Processing in Neuroimaging group and MRI engineer at the Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language (BCBL), San Sebastián, Spain. He obtained a Telecommunications Engineer degree in 2002, a DEA in Communications systems and Information Technologies in 2004, and a PhD at the Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre of The University of Nottingham, UK in 2010. Afterwards, he was a post-doctoral researcher at the Centre d’Imagerie Biomédicale (CIBM) at the Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève, Switzerland until January 2012. His current work mainly concerns the development of new algorithms to study human brain function and physiology with functional magnetic resonance imaging and functional near-infrared spectroscopy. He is vice-chair of the Iberian Chapter of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) and a member of the EURASIP technical area committee on biomedical image and signal analytics.