Research Pilot Projects Program, 2019-2021 “Imaging Neurovascular Uncoupling in Traumatic Brain Injury”

Research Areas

  • Traumatic Brin Injury
  • MRI on Glucose metabolism
  • Computational Pathology using Deep Learning
  • Radiological-Pathological Correlation Analysis

Scientific Achievements

  • Develop an integrated CEST-DCE imaging paradigm for preclinical MRI.
  • Pathological Correlation and Validation: Generate glucose utilization and blood flow maps in TBI brains and correlate with immunohistochemistry to enhance interpretation.
  • Collaboration with MPI at Howard University and
  • Children’s National Research Institute.
  • Communication Biology, 2025; doi:10.1038/s42003- 025-07926-y; PMID: 40114030; PMCID: PMC11926354.

Funding

RCMI Funding: U54MD007597, NIH/NIMHD: Pilot Project “Imaging Neurovascular Uncoupling in Traumatic Brain Injury using CEST CEST-DCE MRI”
Other funding obtained with RCMI support:
  • NIH/NINDS Award: R01NS123442.
  • NSF Awards: 2200489, 2200585.

Scientific Advance

StainAI: quantitative mapping of stained microglia and insights into brain wide neuroinflammation and therapeutic effects in cardiac arrest.
Published in Communication Biology, Volume 8, 2025, PMCID: PMC11926354.
We developed StainAI, a deep learning tool for high throughput analysis of microglial morphology from 20x immunohistochemistry images. It maps microglia to a brain atlas, classifies morphology, quantifies features, and computes activation scores across the entire brain. In a rat model of pediatric cardiac arrest, StainAI classified millions of microglia, surpassing existing methods and revealing novel activation patterns. Application to a primate model of simian immunodeficiency virus confirmed its cross species utility. StainAI provides a scalable platform for advancing research in microglial biology and neuroinflammation.
NIH/NIMHD #U54MD007597, NIH/NINDS #R01NS123442, NSF 2200489, 2200585
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