# Statistical Inference for Imaging and Disease

> **NIH NIH P41** · BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL · 2021 · $225,971

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract TR&D 2 Statistical Inference for Imaging and Disease
We aim to close the gap between the wealth of information captured by brain MRI scans and the simple
neuroimage-derived phenotypes, such as volume of white matter hyperintensity, used in neuroimaging studies.
We will develop machine learning methods to enable detailed quantitative characterization of anatomical
patterns of disease from images routinely acquired in clinical practice. The proposed methods will bring the
vast collections of clinically acquired brain MRI scans to bear on important medical problems. The analysis will
produce rich hypotheses for research studies based on detailed phenotypes of anatomical patterns of disease,
enable image-based patient assessment and improve disease monitoring.
The proposed approach is based on two key innovations. First, we will develop statistical inference methods to
enable the application of state-of-the-art medical image computing algorithms, originally designed for high
resolution isotropic brain MRI, to clinical images with sparse slice sampling. Second, we will develop machine
learning methods for creating detailed phenotypes to characterize spatial patterns of white matter disease. We
will develop the proposed techniques in the context of clinically important studies of white matter disease and
its influence on stroke recovery. We hypothesize that the novel spatial phenotypes extracted from clinical brain
MRI will improve prediction of stroke outcomes and produce refined mechanistic hypotheses about the
underlying disease processes. We will validate and deploy the proposed methods in close collaboration with
the Imaging Core of the International Stroke Genetics Consortium.
We will pursue methodological synergies with the other TR&D projects and will work to advance knowledge
and to improve patient assessment in a broad range of clinical problems defined by the Collaboration Projects
and Service Projects.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10244976
- **Project number:** 5P41EB015902-24
- **Recipient organization:** BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** POLINA GOLLAND
- **Activity code:** P41 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $225,971
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1998-09-30 → 2023-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10244976

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10244976, Statistical Inference for Imaging and Disease (5P41EB015902-24). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10244976. Licensed CC0.

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