A national coordinating neuroinformatics framework for autism and related conditions

Project Overview

New approaches in neurodevelopmental research increasingly seek to integrate enormous amounts of data through sophisticated informatics so as to determine the relationship between genotype and phenotypes, both structural and functional, as they change over time during development. Such approaches dwarf the resources of most laboratories, who are increasingly moving toward “cloud computing” solutions. Dr. Evans and his team addressed the informatics problem with the CBRAIN platform (www.cbrain.mcgill.ca). Coupled with the widely used online database platform, LORIS, CBRAIN supports all aspects of data organization, high-throughput analyses and data dissemination. This well-established, advanced technology platform represents an ideal opportunity for Canada to take a leading position in global neuroinformatics of autism research. With this grant, the team will customize the CBRAIN/LORIS infrastructure, combined with tools for largescale “pipeline” analysis and real-time remote 3D visualization, to underpin a Canadian national platform for autism research. This will allow the integration imaging, behavioural and genetic data from large-scale initiatives, including Canada’s largest developmental research projects. This national infrastructure will naturally interface with international efforts, such as the IBIS network in the US and nationally such as NeuroDevNet in Canada.

Partners and Donors

Azrieli Foundation