Workshops

“Multivariate pattern analysis for neuroimaging data.” Almeida, Rita.

Introduction to applications of multivariate pattern analysis to neuroimaging data with examples and hands-on tutorial.

“fMRI-analysis with SPM.” Andersson, Micael.

During the workshop, data of one single subject performing a task in MR-scanner will be processed and analysed. It will contain the following moments: SliceTiming and movement correction, segmentation, normalisation to MNI-space and regression analyses. The participants are supposed to have matlab installed on their computers and downloaded SPM-toolbox. No previous experience about SPM-analyses is required. A superficial knowledge about fMRI is enough.

“BRAPH 2: Network Analysis for Neuroscience and Deep Learning.” Cheng, Yu-Wei.

This workshop presents BRAPH 2, a flexible, open-source, and reproducible framework for network analyses in neuroscience. Participants will learn how to use its ready-to-use pipelines for graph-theoretical, statistical, and deep-learning analyses within an easy-to-use graphical environment. The workshop will also demonstrate how BRAPH 2 supports all levels of use, from GUI-based analysis to command-line and script-based workflows, as well as the rapid development of custom specialized distributions with minimal coding.

“Python and Network Analysis.” Hedley Thompson, William.

This workshop will introduce several Python libraries used for network analysis, including NetworkX and bctpy. It will also cover key steps in the workflow, such as data preprocessing, network analysis, statistical inference, and visualization techniques. The workshop will include practical exercises designed for both beginner and intermediate-level participants in network analysis."

“fNIRS Anatomical Registration.” – Kvist, Alexander. In collaboration with NIRx.

Alexander Kvist will lead a hands-on tutorial on anatomical registration in fNIRS analysis pipelines. The workshop will focus on photogrammetric optode co-registration in order to increase spatial precision and reproducibility. The workshop is held in collaboration with NIRx.

“Diffusion MRI: From Acquisition to Analysis.” Nilsson, Marcus.

This talk presents an end-to-end view of diffusion MRI, linking acquisition choices to downstream analysis. Key components include sequence design, motion and eddy current correction, and model fitting. Practical challenges, such as signal leakage and partial volume effects, are discussed. An example analysis pipeline is used to illustrate how key concepts. The aim is to provide a concrete, working understanding of the diffusion MRI workflow.

“Joint models of M/EEG and behavior to understand cognition.” Nunez, Michael.

In this tutorial workshop, we will first review the basics of EEG and MEG (M/EEG), including basic artifact correction. We will then review techniques in model-based cognitive neuroscience to connect M/EEG measures to cognitive models that predict behavioral data (e.g. choices and response times in decision-diffusion models). Specifically, we will review directed models that treat single-trial neural measures as independent variables and integrative models that predict neural measures from (neuro-)cognitive models. We will work through examples of each model type together. 

“Introduction to OPM-MEG data analysis.” Pfeiffer, Christoph.

In this hands-on workshop you will learn about novel OPM-based magnetoecencephalography (MEG) and how to preprocess and analyse data. We will work with a dataset recorded with the whole-head OPM-MEG system at KI, one of the largest of its kind in the world, go through preprocessing, sensor-level analysis, and source reconstruction with special attention to OPM-MEG specific aspects.

“VBM + FreeSurfer.” Rumetshofer, Theodor.

During the tutorial we will go through the different steps of a VBM analysis using an example and how to create the different contrast files. In the second part we will go through the basics of Freesurfer analysis, new developments and how to extract the cortical and subcortical information. No previous experience is required but participants with prior knowledge and questions are more than welcome. 

Talks

Day 1

Day 2

“Early Childhood Brain Development and Schizophrenia Risk – Lessons Learned.” Gilmore, John

The talk will cover 1) the rationale for studying early childhood brain development in relation to understanding schizophrenia,  2) a summary of the main findings of the UNC Early Brain Development Study – structural and functional brain development and its relationship to cognitive development, psychopathology, and risk, 3) the limitations of neuroimaging in understanding these relationships and suggestions for the future.

“Towards Precision Assessments of Brain Change in Individuals.” Elliott, Maxwell

In this talk, I will discuss the challenge of measuring brain changes in individuals over short intervals (e.g., 1 year) because of measurement error. I will present a new methodology, “Cluster Scanning”, an approach that reduces error by densely repeating rapid structural scans, and discuss results from data collection in which we used Cluster Scanning to assess brain aging in individuals across three timepoints in one year. I will then discuss the potential of Cluster Scanning, especially for studies of development, aging, and tracking of treatment responses in individuals.

“Multimodal Brain Mapping in Healthy Aging: The DyNAMiC Study.” Johansson, Jarkko

Healthy ageing is associated with decline in several aspects of brain structure and function, including the dopamine system. The DyNAMiC study set out to investigate the triad among ageing, dopamine and cognition, with the hypothesis that age-related dopamine losses may contribute to cognitive decline. The results shed new light on regional differences in dopamine decline, and suggest moderate implications to cognition. 

“Layer-Specific fMRI.” Huber, Renzo.

In this presentation, Dr. Renzo Huber will introduce laminar-specific fMRI and its promise to measure directional neural information flow within and across brain systems. He will briefly talk about technical innovations of fMRI acquisition sensitivity and specificity methods and how they have been previously used to study layer-specific feed-forward vs. feedback and input vs output related activation across brain areas. The presentation will close with pointers to potential future application studies related to functional connectivity across cognitive and social networks.

“Bayesian methods to compare models to neuroimaging data.” Schütt, Heiko

We recently developed a Bayesian linear encoding model for which we can analytically compute the likelihood to observe any pattern of responses in a voxel or channel. This allows us to compute a posterior probability distribution over which model representation created the responses without dimensionality reduction hyperparameter tuning or cross-validation. Extensive evaluations demonstrate the reliability, effectiveness, and efficiency of the new methods.

“Science Communication in Brain Imaging: Lessons from Forskningstorget.” Warren Alatorre, Jose Luis

Luis will share his experience doing science communication through LCBC’s work at Forskningstorget in Oslo every year since 2023. The talk will focus on what works when communicating brain imaging and neuroscience to broad audiences (especially kids, families, and the general public) using hands-on activities, interactive demos, and simple ways of making complex ideas accessible and engaging.

Day 3

“The BRIGHT Project: Brain Imaging for Global Health.” Elwell, Clare

The Brain Imaging for Global Health (BRIGHT) project is developing brain function for age curves for Gambian and UK infants from birth to 5 years of age with the aim of informing targeted interventions to improve long term neurocognitive outcome. The project is the first of its kind to combine a comprehensive set of neuroimaging, behaivoural, growth and socio-demographic assessments in a longitudinal study across two continents to establish the association between poverty related risk factors and developmental trajectories.

“GABA-Edited MR Spectroscopy in Visual Neuroscience: Methodological Lessons from Early Visual Experience and Healthy Ageing.”

Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) enables non-invasive quantification of Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate in the living brain, yet successful implementation requires careful methodological decisions rarely discussed collectively. Drawing on two visual neuroscience studies — one examining age-related neurochemical changes in visual cortex, another investigating Excitation/Inhibition balance following sight restoration after transient congenital blindness — this talk provides a practical guide to GABA-edited MRS. Sequence choice, voxel placement, tissue correction, data quality benchmarks, and analysis pipelines are discussed, while demonstrating how neurochemical, anatomical, and functional specificity can each be systematically established. Interpretive limitations of the GABA+ measure are also addressed.

“Trajectories of brain change in psychiatric disorders: The promises and pitfalls of longitudinal neuroimaging studies”. Klahn, Luisa

Longitudinal neuroimaging studies offer a powerful framework to investigate how brain structure and function evolve across the course of psychiatric disorders. By capturing within-individual change over time, they provide insights that cross-sectional studies cannot. However, these approaches also present methodological, practical, and interpretational challenges. This talk will review key opportunities and limitations of longitudinal brain imaging and discuss strategies to strengthen future studies.