Approved research

Building, validating, and applying precision neuroscience methods for mental health inference and prediction

Lay summary

Neuroimaging research has transformed our understanding of mental health. However, recent evidence has brought to light some significant concerns about the rigor and reproducibility of common neuroimaging practices, which undermines the quality of research in the field. This presents a barrier for using this research to develop practical solutions for individuals struggling with mental health issues. One fundamental avenue for addressing these issues is to create and use tools that facilitate higher quality research.

To that end, this project aims to build and validate "precision neuroscience" methods that will enable researchers to 1) conduct more accurate analyses and 2) reveal individual-level insight. Furthermore, this project will use these methods to better understand the complex interaction between brain, body, and environmental factors that underlie mental health outcomes. Importantly, the unprecedented UK Biobank dataset enables us to empirically validate these methods and use them to aid in discovery with the highest available level of accuracy. Overall, this project will result in the creation and application of methods that are expected to improve the overall quality of neuroimaging-based mental health research, leading us closer to  real-world utility of this avenue of research.