# Graduate Training at the Interface of Neuroscience, Optical Engineering and Data Science

> **NIH NIH T32** · BOSTON UNIVERSITY (CHARLES RIVER CAMPUS) · 2024 · $167,378

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Over the last two decades there have been tremendous advances in in vivo neurophotonic technologies, which
allow neuroscientists to visualize molecular, cellular and systems-level brain physiology and functions. For the
last ten years, these technological efforts have been greatly facilitated by the BRAIN Initiative. However, this fast
growth has widened the gap between the developers and the neuroscience community in need. This is because
to properly use these novel tools, it is important to understand the underlying physical principles and have the
practical skills in data collection and quantitative statistical analysis. Furthermore, each technique comes with its
limitations, and understanding these limitations is critical for avoiding unconscious bias. The adoption and
utilization of these neurophotonic technologies is, by nature, an interdisciplinary enterprise, forged between
neuroscience, engineering, and the data sciences. As such, it also represents an ideal discipline around which
to build a new training paradigm that incorporates team science, interdisciplinary thinking, communication, and
business understanding. The mission of our Neurophotonics Research Training Program is to create the
preeminent neurophotonics training program that will produce the next-generation of investigators capable of
rigorously and creatively developing and applying photonics methods across a wide array of neuroscience sub-
fields to advance our understanding of the brain in health and disease. Our trainees will gain the foundational
knowledge of the field that will permit them to continue to grow with the field after their training, and efficiently
translate their breakthroughs from the academic lab to real world applications. Our training program will fully
support the broad range of exciting careers open to scientists today. In addition to building a field-defining
neurophotonics curriculum, combining technical training, computational / data analysis, and critical thinking skills,
we will provide robust training in the professional and operational skills required for success in this highly
interdisciplinary field.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10847851
- **Project number:** 1T32NS136080-01
- **Recipient organization:** BOSTON UNIVERSITY (CHARLES RIVER CAMPUS)
- **Principal Investigator:** David A Boas
- **Activity code:** T32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $167,378
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-07-08 → 2029-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10847851

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10847851, Graduate Training at the Interface of Neuroscience, Optical Engineering and Data Science (1T32NS136080-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10847851. Licensed CC0.

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