Research
The PESTILLI LAB promotes progress in psychological and brain science via the democratization of scientific research, methods, data and infrastructure. We strive to advance societal good by accelerating neuroscientific discovery and education via data-science applications and innovative technology.
Data Neuroscience and Machine Learning Advancing Scientific Understanding with both Theory and Data-Driven Methods
It has been claimed that data is the new oil. Discovery and understanding in psychological and brain science depend on the ability to process large amounts of “good data” to extract meaningful insights. The PESTILLI LAB capitalizes on the recent opportunities for large-scale data analysis, data science and machine learning. The lab uses advanced data-driven methods to find unexplored associations between brain biomarkers and behavior, and to advance scientific theory and understanding.
Open Science and Cloud Technology Innovation and Technology for Better, Faster, Stronger Science
We promote the application of cloud technology to support psychological and brain science science. Cloud technology can help scientists address bigger scientific questions and reduce mistakes. Cloud services allow error-less data analysis and management. The PESTILLI LAB has developed and operates brainlife.io, an open-source, free-to-use cloud computing platform that supports thousands of students and researchers with reproducible neuroimaging data processing.
Visual White Matter and Brain Networks Understanding vision to advance cure and improve quality of life
Vision is the primary human sense. Visual function requires coordinating the activity of multiple systems, from the eyes to the brain. Visual signals travel across long-range myelinated axonal pathways that form a network of neurons and brain areas. As of today, we understand much about the function of individual neurons and brain areas but less about communication between brain areas. The PESTILLI LAB works on understanding how neurons and brain areas connect and form networks and how these networks support human behavior. The laboratory research combines multiple neuroimaging measurements to study how networks and the biological tissue support human vision during development and across the lifespan.
2023
Center for Mesoscale Connectomics: A multimodal, cross-species approach
Sarah Heilbronner, Franco Pestilli
The National Institute of Health Oct 2023
Extending ezBIDS, NiiVue and dcm2niix for user-friendly cloud-based integration and visualization
Chris Rorden, Franco Pestilli
The National Institute of Mental Health BRAIN Initiative Oct 2023
BRIDGE: Brain Research International Data Governance Exchange
Franco Pestilli, Damian Eke, Ricardo Chavarriaga, Thomas Nichols, Fernanda Tovar Moll, Amadi Ihunwo
The Wellcome Trust Jul 2023
2022
A pilot study to develop international data governance for neuroscience
Franco Pestilli
The Kavli Foundation Mar 2022
2021
BD Spokes: SPOKE: MIDWEST: Collaborative: Advanced Computational Neuroscience Network (ACNN)
Franco Pestilli, Susanne Ressl
The National Science Foundation (Special Program for Big Data) Nov 2021 to Jun 2023
CRCNS: US-France Data Sharing Proposal: Open science & cloud computing of MEEG
Aina Puce, Franco Pestilli
The National Science Foundation (Special Program for Big Data) Oct 2021 to May 2023
Collaborative Proposal: CRCNS US-German Data Sharing Proposal: DataLad - a decentralized system for integrated discovery, management, and publication of digital objects of science
Franco Pestilli, Michael Hanke and Yaroslav Halchenko
The National Institute of Mental Health (Special Program CRCNS) Oct 2021 to Aug 2023
A community-driven development of the brain imaging data standard (BIDS) to describe macroscopic brain connections
Franco Pestilli, Russ Poldrack, and Ariel Rokem
The National Institutes of Health (Special Program for the BRAIN Initiative) Aug 2021 to Jul 2023
2020
Harnessing machine learning and cloud computing to test biological models of the role of white matter in human learning
Sophia Vinci-Booher (postdoc)
The National Scienece Foundation (Special SBE Postdoctoral Fellowship) Sep 2020 to Aug 2022
Advancing understanding of human aging via cloud computing
Franco Pestilli
Microsoft Corporation (Faculty Fellowship) Aug 2020
2019
CRCNS: US-France Data Sharing Proposal: Lowering the barrier of entry to network neuroscience
Richard Betzel, Franco Pestilli and Danielle Bassett
The National Institute of Mental Health (Special Program CRCNS) Sep 2019 to Jun 2023
BD Hubs: Collaborative Proposal: Midwest: Midwest Big Data Hub: Building Communities to Harness the Data Revolution
Franco Pestilli
The National Institute of Mental Health (Special Program CRCNS) Jun 2019 to May 2023
2017
NCS-FO: Connectome mapping algorithms with application to community services for big data neuroscience
Franco Pestilli, Ivo Dinov, Lei Wang, Eleftherios Garyfallidis
The National Science Foundation (Special Program for the BRAIN initiative) Sep 2017 to Dec 2021
2016
BD Spokes: SPOKE: MIDWEST: Collaborative: Advanced Computational Neuroscience Network (ACNN)
Franco Pestilli, Ivo Dinov, Richard Gonzalez, DK Panda, Staya Sahoo
The National Science Foundation (Special Program for Big Data) Sep 2016 to Oct 2021
2015
Improved accuracy for anatomical mapping and network structure of the Alzheimer's brain
Franco Pestilli
The Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CTSI) Sep 2015 to Aug 2017