Neuroimaging Education & Training Program

Project Overview

The Neuroimaging Core is dedicated to advancing education in Alzheimer's disease and related disorders (AD/ADRD) by providing comprehensive, hands-on training in multimodal neuroimaging. Its educational mission spans technical skill development, scientific mentorship, and workforce expansion, ensuring that trainees gain the expertise necessary to contribute meaningfully to cutting-edge biomarker discovery and translational neuroscience.

Training includes the full continuum of MRI and PET imaging—protocol design, data acquisition, preprocessing, quantitative analysis, and integration of neuroimaging with clinical, fluid, and neuropathological data. Special emphasis is placed on biomarker trajectories related to sex differences, vascular burden, neuroinflammation, and disease progression, reflecting a core scientific priority of the Houston ADRC.

• Mentored research experiences for trainees and early-career investigators.
  The Core provides structured one-on-one training for national and international postdoctoral fellows, junior faculty, and clinical trainees. Mentorship focuses on neuroimaging biomarkers of amyloid, tau, neurodegeneration, and cerebrovascular disease, and on understanding how these markers differ across biological sex and other modifying factors.
• Training in advanced PET quantification and tracer validation.
  Trainees receive instruction in quantitative PET modeling, including full kinetic analysis with arterial input functions. This training is essential for work with emerging tracers targeting TSPO, MAO‑B, muscarinic M4 receptors, and other systems relevant to AD/ADRD research.
• Accredited neuroimaging fellowship and postdoctoral training.
  The Neuroimaging Core supports an accredited clinical Neuroimaging Fellowship (United Council for Neurological Subspecialties) for neurologists and psychiatrists, as well as training pathways for PhD postdoctoral researchers specializing in quantitative neuroimaging methods.
• Specialized short-format educational programs (“nano‑courses”).
  The Core develops and delivers targeted courses for HADRC investigators. One course covers foundational and advanced MRI and PET methods for AD biomarker assessment, while a second focuses on kinetic modeling and human evaluation of novel PET tracers.
• Commitment to diversity and inclusive training pathways.
  In partnership with the Research Education Component (REC) and the Outreach, Recruitment, and Engagement (ORE) Core, the NIC actively engages trainees from underrepresented backgrounds, expanding access to neuroimaging education and career opportunities within AD research.
• Career development and grant preparation support.
  Core investigators mentor trainees pursuing NIH pilot grants, K awards, and other funding mechanisms, providing guidance on study design, biomarker selection, imaging methodology, and data analysis strategies.
• Scientific dissemination and cross-center collaboration.
  The Core contributes to seminars, workshops, ADRC-wide meetings, and multisite imaging working groups. These activities ensure trainees stay connected to emerging advancements in biomarker science and develop collaborative networks essential for career growth.