Brain Connectivity Lab
I am a researcher interested in using quantitative MRI, particularly (but not limited to) diffusion-weighted MRI, for the study of neurological disorders, with special interest in epilepsy. Along with the great people in the lab, we try to understand what causes some specific brain lesions to be epileptogenic, how this process evolves over time, and how it affects cognitive abilities. Some of these questions can be addressed in clinical research, but when it is not possible, we turn to animal models, where we have more control, and are able to use other methods on top of MRI. I joined the National Autonomous University of Mexico in 2010, and started the Brain Connectivity Laboratory in 2012. The type of work that I most enjoy is multidisciplinary by nature, and I have the fortune of having great collaborators.
Since 2014, I have led the National Laboratory for magnetic resonance imaging, which serves several research groups from all over Mexico. This has fortunately forced me to keep up with different quantitative MRI methods.
Postdoc in imaging of epilepsy, 2008-2010
Montreal Neurological Hospital
PhD in Biomedical Engineering / Medical Science, 2003-2007
University of Alberta
Medical School, 1995-2002
Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Mexico
Epilepsy, Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI), Quantitative MRI
Epileptogenesis, Septo-hippocampal interaction
Academic Technician
(Ph.D.) Role of the septo-hippocampal pathway in epileptogenesis (Hiram Luna)
(Ph.D.) Degeneration in regions of fiber crossings
(M.Sc.) Modulation of the septo-hippocampal pathway (Hiram Luna)
(Ph.D.) Reorganization of cortex-basal ganglia circuits in response to rhythmic motor tasks in non-human primate (co-tutor).
(M.Sc.) Modulation of the septo-hippocampal pathway (Hiram Luna)
(Research assistant) Diffusion MRI to detect focal cortical dysplasias in patients with epilepsy.
(M.Sc.) Epilepsy and diabetes (Hiram Luna)
(M.Sc.) Longitudinal evaluation of cognitive performance in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy
(M.Sc.) Detection of cortical dysplasia through advanced diffusion MRI.
(M.Sc.) Diffusion MRI to study the neocortical microstructure of the rat
(M.Sc.) Quantification of myelin through MRI.
(Ph.D.) White matter integrity and its relation to cognitive performance in temporal lobe epilepsy patients.
(M.Sc.) Resting-state fMRI in temporal lobe epilepsy and its relation to cognitive abilities (co-tutor).
(M.Sc.) Diffusion characteristics of cortical dysplasia.
(M.Sc.) Links between cognitive phenotypes and cortical activity during working memory in patients with TLE.
Beat perception and entrainment. (Ph.D. Student in Hugo Merchant’s lab)
(Ph.D.) Anatomical and functional characterization of cortical displasias in an animal model
(PDF) Analysis of white matter microstructure in crossing fiber regions through advanced models of DWI.
(Ph.D.) Characterization of white matter microstructure using DWI with oscilating gradients.
(M.Sc.) White matter alterations in relation to status epilepticus in a rat model of TLE.
(M.Sc.) Analysis of white matter microstructure in crossing fiber regions through histology and DWI (co-tutor).
(Ph.D.) Tractography of the pre-lemniscal radiations in Parkinson’s disease.
(Ph.D.) Processing of complex acoustical stimuli in the auditory cortex.
(M.Sc.) Microstrucutral correlates of advanced diffusion models.
(Ph.D.) Neural correlates of facial recognition in dogs through fMRI.
(M.Sc.) Cognitive decline in temporal lobe epilepsy and its relation to fornix microsctructure.
(M.Sc.) Cortical activity in response to rhythmic clarity of music stimuli
(M.Sc.) White matter microstructure and its correlation to concentration of alpha-synuclein in skin.
(M.Sc.) Working memory in TLE
(M.Sc.) Cortical atrophy in patients with TLE and its relation to cognitive abilities
Interested in doing your M.Sc. or Ph.D? Contact us! We are currently seeking motivated graduate students to work in the fields of epileptogenesis and brain imaging. We do not encourage a specific academic profile, as we believe it has very little predictive value about an individual’s future skills.
(courtesy of several members of the lab)
