Center for mesoscale connectomics

Understanding brain connections by integrating data across scales and organisms.

In the short term, CMC will map the mesoscale connections between the frontal and parietal cortices which communicate with one another.

These connections likely subserve higher-order functions such as attention, decision-making, prospection, and executive control. 

The Center for Mesoscale Connectomics is supported by NIH UM1NS132207 as well as funds from the University of Minnesota’s Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, Department of Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, and Institute for Translational Neuroscience.

Overview

Understanding complex neural pathways and networks can reveal the brain’s remarkable ability to generate a rich variety of human behaviors. 

To advance our understanding of the brain, the Center for Mesoscale Connectomics (CMC) will establish anatomical connectivity by combining data from advanced techniques in ultra-high field MR imaging, anatomical tract-tracing, optical imaging, and computational analysis tools.

The project will collect, analyze and share brain connectivity data at the mesoscale – microns to millimeters.