Speaker:Kewei Chen, Ph.D.
Director of Computational Image Analysis Program
Banner Alzheimer Institute & Banner Samaritan PET Center
Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center

Title:Neuroimaging PET studies of human brain functions/diseases, the significant contributions of mathematics, and new mathematical challenges

Abstract:This talk will be a general introduction to a relatively new scientific research frontier: Neuroimaging study using positron emission tomography (PET) technique. It consists of four parts: 1) a brief introduction of the physical principle of the PET technique; 2) a discussion on a number of exciting PET applications in the areas of human brain functions and diseases, exemplified by our own studies of memory, emotion, hunger, planning of neurosurgery, brain tumor detection and especially the study of Alzheimer disease (AD) and the apolipoprotein E-4 genotype related genetic risk factor of AD; 3) highlights of the important roles played by mathematics, essential for the success of these fascinating PET studies; and 4) some methodological challenges, of the mathematical nature, to be answered to further advance our research of our human brain.