Computational approaches to multimodal research in psychiatry

Prof Beckmann's is Prof for Statistics in Imaging Neurosciences at the Donders Institute in Nijmegen (NL). His research focus is on developing novel methods for imaging neurosciences. He received a Diploma. Math from the University of Münster and obtained a MSc in Neural Networks and an MSc in Mathematics and Foundations of Computer Science at the University of Oxford, where he then continued to obtain a DPhil in Information Engineering, working on methods for the analysis of fMRI data. Over the last two decades neuroimaging has made significant contributions to our understanding of human brain function. The indirect nature of the data requires sophisticated modeling and analysis approaches in order to infer interpretable quantities of interest. Prof Beckmann leads a multi-disciplinary team with research foci that cover a range of subjects from the analysis of Neuroimaging data, via the development of novel tools for general image and signal processing, to the technology development for imaging biomarkers and advanced diagnosis systems for the neural system. In doing so, we use a variety of imaging techniques, such as MRI, FMRI, MEG, EEG etc and integrate this with other types of data, such as Genetic or questionnaire information. In order to translate some of his tools and techniques to practical clinical trials he is co-founder and director of SBGneuro Ltd, a UK SME committed to enable functional and structural MRI to fulfil its potential as a powerful, non-invasive biomarker for a wide range of diseases and disease treatments.