ABSTRACT：
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is arguably the leading neuroimaging technique. fMRI permits noninvasive and in vivo neuroimaging with millimeter spatial resolution and whole brain field of view. To date, fMRI has primarily been applied in humans with considerable success. Animal models such as the rat have also made important contributions to neuroscience. Performing fMRI in animals provides an important link between human and animal neuroscience research. We have applied and developed fMRI technologies to study the auditory and visual systems in the rat. This has enabled mapping of velocity encoding in the superior colliculus and tonotopic organization in the inferior colliculus. The newly developed swept source fMRI technology enables mapping tonotopic organization with superior frequency resolution and reduced image distortion compared to conventional fMRI approaches. fMRI has recently been applied to study plasticity in the adult auditory system following chronic acoustic exposure at moderate sound pressure levels.
Introduction about Dr Condon Lau：
Dr. Condon Lau is a research assistant professor in the Division of Biomedical Engineering at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He received his B.S.E from Princeton University and his Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). At MIT, he developed optical spectroscopy and imaging technologies for noninvasive early cancer detection. He underwent postdoctoral training at the University of Hong Kong where he developed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technologies and applied fMRI to study auditory and visual functions. His research interests involve developing and applying biomedical imaging technologies. |
