Translation, Computational Anatomy & Genetics

Professor John Ashburner

The overall research theme of the TCAG group concerns modelling inter-subject variability.

Much of the work focusses on variability among patient populations and control subjects, with an emphasis on Dystonia and pre-symptomatic Huntington's and Alzheimer's diseases.

Anatomical (T1-weighted), diffusion and functional MRI data are used to identify the most salient features of the disorders, with the dual aims of obtaining insights into disease mechanisms, and also identifying potential imaging biomarkers and diagnostic tools. In addition, the group is involved in constructing atlases from probabilistic tractography data, with the aim of using factorisation techniques to summarise complicated patterns of connectivity.

Another strand investigates subjects from the general population, and involves relating neuro-anatomical phenotype with genotype and various personality measures. Older techniques such as voxel-based morphometry (VBM) are used, but more accurate Pattern Theoretic models are also being developed.

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