PlatformsNeuroscience Informatics

Access to computer based neuroscience related databases and to software tools and techniques for interpreting, exploring and analysing data.


Click Here for the Neuroscience Informatics Platform Leader Report 2003/2004

The Neuroscience Informatics platform has been established with the aim of significantly contributing to neuroscience research in the near future, nationally and internationally. Based on the successful experience within the Human Genome project, which constructed and federated bioinformatics related databases and tools for accessing this data, neuroscience informatics can be defined as the use of information technology to acquire, store, organise, analyse, interpret and computationally model neuroscience data. It incorporates not only neuroscience databases but also the computer-based tools required to effectively utilise these databases.


Objectives
To address issues within neuroscience databases including:
    o limited datasets
    o lack of standardised tools and experimental methods
    o lack of integration across various areas of neuroscience research
Collate and make accessible to the general community an inclusive listing of neuroinformatics resources including databases, neuroinformatics tools and computational methods for modelling and simulating brain function
Develop database guidelines for content, organisation, quality control and standard procedures to ensure inter-operability and longevity of neuroscience databases
Facilitate the distribution of neuroinformatics tools and computational methods for modelling brain functions and to assist in the maintenance of such tools and methods
Facilitate dialogue about changes in the way researchers are evaluated and rewarded in an evolving field of shared databases and interdisciplinary collaboration
Contribute to the development of business and operational plans for a neuroinformatics portal as an internet-based knowledge repository for neuroinformatics applications and neuroscience data, providing e-services for scientists, government, industry and the public
Develop a novel registration method that removes only normal neuroanatomical variation from brain images, with direct clinical application to computer-based, quantitative assessment of brain pathology
Make available an integrated neuroscience informatics software package that includes in-house techniques developed by Australian researchers
Give access to a range of neuroscience informatics databases together with analytical and modelling tools for standardised storage, retrieval and modelling of data. Databases will be of neuroimaging, cellular neurophysiological, neurogenetics and, in time, data from other NNF platforms
Provide education and consulting for neuroscience informatics users

Facilities & Expertise
All operations of the Neuroinformatics Services Platform are aimed to be consistent with the goal of the Neuroinformatics Working Group of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which established principles and procedures for open sharing of neuroscience data and neuroinformatics tools.

In 2002-03 the National Neural Informatics and Image Analysis Facility (NNIAF), a key component of the Neuroscience Informatics Services Platform, was re-located to the new NNF Headquarters. The NNIAF is the national care facility for data handling, mining, storage and retrieval of complex data collected from neuroimaging, neurogenomics and neuroproteomics, medicinal chemistry and neurophysiology laboratories. It is planned that the NNIAF will form the core facility for off-line analysis of functional imaging and research in image analysis methodology.

The Brain Research Institute, the Mental Health Research Institute and Monash University also operate key services and facilities as a part of the Neuroinformatics Services Platform. In addition, a key collaboration with the Victorian Bioinformatics Consortium has been formed.

Key Personnel
A/Prof. Gary Egan (Platform Leader) Howard Florey Institute
Dr Geoff Stuart Mental Health Research Institute
Dr David Abbott Brain Research Institute
Dr Nellie Geourgiou-Karistianis Department of Psychology, Monash University
Professor John Furness Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Melbourne
Professor Colin Masters Department on Pathology, University of Melbourne
Associate Professor Trevor Dix Victorian Bioinformatics Consortium, Monash University
Dr Neil Killeen Centre for Neuroscience, University of Melbourne

Key Achievements in 2002-03
In line with its plan of operation, this Platform Technology focused on the neuroinformatics associated with neuroimaging data in its first year of operation, and is increasing its emphasis on neuroinformatics associated with cellular neurophysiology and with neurogenomics and neuroproteomics. Thus, it serves other platforms of the NNF in addition to serving the interests of neuroscientists from research and commercial environments.

Recovery of platform costs is through a variety of ways:
Access fees for data and tools utilisation (data access and software licence fees);
Funding from resource provision to researchers (computers, software and expertise);
Major research and equipment grant applications; and
Fees derived from undertaking specialist contract neuroscience informatics research in key areas of neuroimaging, neurogenomics and neuroproteomics and cellular neurophysiology, multivariate analysis techniques and systems neuroscience modelling techniques.

The Neuroscience Informatics Platform has completed a major milestone in developing a neuroimaging database project that was prototyped on adult structural MRs and has now been adapted for neonatal brain images. Eight research teams who are undertaking a variety of projects are currently accessing it. Examples include:
Regional measures of longitudinal changes in early psychosis and schizophrenia
Measuring large scale brain connectivity changes in motor learning
3-dimensional mental rotation in mathematically gifted adolescents: an fMRI investigation

This Platform has been successful in an internationally competitive bid to host the International Human Brain Mapping conference in 2008.

In July 2005, the International Neuroinformatics Co-ordinating Facility (INCF) was established to facilitate international collaboration in neuroinformatics research based on recommendations from the Neuroinformatics Working Group of the OECD. Activities are currently underway to establish an Australian node of the INCF, with a Planning Committee being established in 2005 to progress establishment of this node. The Planning Committee is currently collaborating with the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy and state government agencies to advance plans for Australian INCF membership in 2006/07.


 
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