SkuldNet

Professor and Director of Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC).

My research is focussed on imaging of brain structure both at the macro- and micro-structural level. I am interested in how we may predict brain function from quantitative assessment of brain structure, particularly of the white matter which forms the connections between different brain regions. Without a detailed understanding of the connections and connectivity of the brain, we cannot fully understand how the brain functions. Yet this is an area largely overlooked in cognitive neuroscience. My research looks to fill these gaps in our knowledge. I employ a range of techniques including diffusion tensor imaging, relaxometry, volumetry and magnetization transfer imaging and combine these measures with assessment of brain function using both traditional cognitive tests and state-of-the-art neuroimaging methods to assess brain function, including functional MRI, magnetoencephalography (MEG) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).

Research interests: Optimal design of MR acquisition schemes for quantitative assessment of white matter; Statistical methods for analysing individual and grouped DT-MRI data sets; Development of fiber tractography – algorithms and visualization techniques; Combination of rapid relaxometric measurements with diffusion imaging data; Applications of DT-MRI tractography to the study of diseased populations; Integration of white matter structural assessment with other modalities (MEG, TMS, FMRI)