# Imaging Core (Core C)

> **NIH NIH P01** · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · 2022 · $988,318

## Abstract

SUMMARY: CORE C- IMAGING CORE
The Imaging Core supports the Harvard Aging Brain Study (HABS) Program Project Grant (PPG) by
overseeing the acquisition and analyses of all imaging protocols. For the renewal, the Imaging Core will have
primary responsibility for the acquisition of the PET protocols for both 11C Pittsburgh Compound B (PiB) and
18F Flortaucipir (FTP). The Core will be responsible for acquisition and analytic processing of the BASE MRI
sequences to generate standard volumetric MRI variables for all HABS participants, including sampling of PET
in MRI-defined regions-of-interest (ROI). The Core will provide BASE protocol image data for use with the
ADVANCED Imaging protocol (Project 3), which includes FDG, R1, and TARP. All Core image data will be
integrated with data from Core B: Clinical Core within the DataCentral database with oversight by Core D:
Analytic Core. In conjunction with the Analytic Core, personnel from each of Projects 1 through 4 will be able
to query the database to acquire fully quality-controlled image data for use in testing individual Project
hypotheses. For the primary assessments of amyloid and tau deposition, the Core will provide a standard full
dynamic protocol for PiB PET and a standard late-frame protocol for FTP PET (Aim 1). The BASE MRI
protocol will consist of a standardized set of structural and functional acquisitions for subject characterization,
including subcortical volumetrics, e.g., hippocampus, and cortical thickness (Aim 1). Standard measures
derived from these data sets by the Core will be used by all four Projects to accomplish individual Project aims
(Aim 2). These include proxy measures of amyloid and tau realized as PET metrics in individual or aggregated
tissue ROI, e.g., global amyloid burden represented as PiB distribution volume ratio (DVR), or regional tau
burden represented as inferior temporal FTP standardized uptake ratio (SUVr). The processing pipelines have
been automated using a combination of tools based on FreeSurfer, SPM12, FSL, and in-house scripts and
programs. The Imaging Core will supply the four PPG Projects with quality-checked MRI and PET ROI data
that has been archived and managed under the supervision of the Analytic Core. The Imaging Core is
composed of a strong group of clinical neuroimaging investigators, with specialized training in radiology,
neurology, psychology, informatics, and computer science, who will supervise a dedicated research staff to
perform MRI and PET acquisitions, data processing, and analyses in close collaboration with the research
Projects. The Imaging Core will assist individual Projects to optimize each imaging measure for use in specific
analyses.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10144905
- **Project number:** 5P01AG036694-12
- **Recipient organization:** MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** Keith A. Johnson
- **Activity code:** P01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $988,318
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2010-07-15 → 2025-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10144905

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10144905, Imaging Core (Core C) (5P01AG036694-12). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10144905. Licensed CC0.

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