Welcome to the Brain Networks Laboratory at Texas A&M University!
![]() In memory of Bruce H. McCormick (1928-2007): Dr. McCormick, founding director of our lab, passed away on 11/30/2007. Dr. McCormick had a life-long dedication to interdisciplinary research, with a great vision and drive for brain networks research. His insights, enthusiasm, collegiality, and good humor will be missed greatly by everyone. (For more on his great achievements, please follow this link.) |
Leonardo da Vinci referred to his studies of anatomy as "cosmografia del minor mondo," a "cosmography of the microcosm." We propose to carry the exploration of this world within to finer grain, to a cellular level of detail.
Our research on mouse brain networks has the potential to transform the way we think about computation. Network function is built on architecture, both connectivity and neuron morphology, and it is the architecture of the mouse brain as a template for all mammalian brains that constitutes the subject of our investigation. The mammalian cerebral cortex, a modular cognitive machine wonderfully adapted for natural computation, is both parallel and distributed in structure.
In the long term, findings from our research will lead to a theory of parallel and distributed information processing that bridges both computer and brain networks. Such brain network models could help greatly in building the next generation of IT infrastructure: one less brittle, better adapted to providing relevant and timely information, and better able to model and interact with its environment.
Our main research revolves around the knife-edge scanning microscope (KESM): [Technical specifications].
New Results
- Fall 2011: KESM Brain Atlas goes online!
- Spring 2010: Full Nissl-stained mouse brain scanned!
- Summer 2008: Full Golgi-stained mouse brain (neurons) scanned!
- Spring 2008: Full India ink-stained mouse brain (vascular network) scanned!
- New data (Nissl): Data Gallery
- New reconstruction results: Reconstruction Gallery [Sample AVI movie]
- New KESM photos and videos: KESM Gallery [Sample AVI movie], [Sample AVI movie]