Baby Brain Research Group

UCSF pioneers baby brain research by hardware and software development, which then helps improve image acquisitions for imaging newborns. For hardware, we build MRI coils which are signal receivers that then gets data from the brain.  Also, in order to take babies down to the MRI, we built an MRI compatible incubator. UCSF is also interested in functional imaging: water diffusion, perfusion, resting state fMRI, and metabolic imaging. UCSF is analyzing how different parts of the brain are interconnected and knowing how brain networks affects premature birth, which in turn can help us improve therapy.  Through the information that we’ve gained from the research studies we have been able to counsel the parents on what to expect for their children’s future development.