Overview

The Brain Imaging and Analysis Center (BIAC) was created in 1998 as a component of the campus-wide neuroimaging initiative. BIAC brings together scientists from throughout Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to find interdisciplinary solutions to fundamental research questions about the human brain. Two key themes are closely weaved to achieve this goal. The first is to improve research techniques in neuroimaging, through improvements in MR pulse sequence design, applications to high-field fMRI, experimental control, and understanding of brain hemodynamics. Second, BIAC researchers investigate the functional properties of the human brain by incorporating these state-of-the-art research techniques into studies of cognitive processing. BIAC researchers investigate the organization of visual cortex, the cortical control of attention, brain circuits involved with learning and memory, among many other research topics. More specific information on cognitive neuroscience research can be found in the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience (CCN), a sister center of BIAC. Additional information can also be found in two research centers closely affiliated to BIAC, the Mental Illness Research, Education & Clinical Center (MIRECC) at Durham VA Medical Center and the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies. To reach these goals, BIAC combines world-class technical facilities, including functional MRI and electrophysiological research labs, with outstanding faculty drawn from many departments.