Organizing Knowledge
Rajeev Raizada, assistant professor of brain and cognitive sciences, uses functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) analysis in order to understand the way the brain encodes and processes information.
Unlike X-rays, CAT scans, and other types of brain imaging, fMRI involves no surgery, dyes, or exposure to radiation and can be safely deployed over time, providing a risk-free way for scientists to watch our brains in action.
Raizada’s work is laying a foundation for the day when neuroscientists will use a brain scan to diagnose the underlying causes of learning disabilities like dyslexia and to detect impairments long before children experience difficulty or, potentially, failure in school. With advances in neuroimaging techniques, data science, and the computational ability needed to sort through these data-rich scans, that day may arrive sooner than you expect.