The Stats Up AI group is dedicated to organizing initiatives that empower statisticians to play a more active role in AI research and leadership. Our members are committed to enhancing the contributions of statisticians in addressing real-world challenges through AI research. We emphasize the importance of integrating statistical methods with AI tools, ensuring that statisticians are not only contributors but also influential leaders in utilizing these combined approaches to solve practical problems.

We are excited to announce the launch of a new webinar series, the Stats-Up-AI-Alliance, aiming at advancing modern neuroimaging techniques within the community. The inaugural webinar will be held on April 9, 2025 (Wednesday) at 12:00 PM ET / 11:00 AM CT / 10:00 AM MT / 9:00 AM PT, presented by Dr. Martin Lindquist from Johns Hopkins University. Details about the talk and the abstract are included below. We encourage you to share this exciting event with colleagues who may be interested, and we look forward to your participation in the webinar.

Talk

Elements of Functional Neuroimaging

Abstract

The field of neuroimaging, particularly functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), is rapidly growing, with over 1,000 new publications annually and widespread use across diverse academic disciplines. As fMRI becomes a core tool for psychologists, neuroscientists, physicians, economists, lawyers, and engineers, understanding its intricacies has never been more critical. However, the interdisciplinary nature of neuroimaging presents challenges due to its combination of necessary biological, computational, statistical, and psychological expertise. This talk seeks to provide an accessible overview of how fMRI works, focusing on its underlying principles, and explain the variety of techniques used to analyze fMRI data. We will focus on essential conceptual tools to critically evaluate fMRI studies, avoid common pitfalls, and deepen the understanding of this powerful imaging technique. Our aim is to empower researchers to navigate and assess the complexities of neuroimaging in a rapidly evolving field.

https://upenn.zoom.us/j/94227327976

Presenter:

Dr. Martin Lindquist is a Professor of Biostatistics at Johns Hopkins University. His research focuses on mathematical and statistical problems relating to functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). Dr. Lindquist is actively involved in developing new analysis methods to enhance our ability to understand brain function using human neuroimaging. He has published over 100 articles, and serves on the editorial boards of several scientific journals both in statistics and neuroimaging. He is a fellow of the American Statistical Association. In 2018 he was awarded the the Organization for Human Brain Mapping’s Education in Neuroimaging Award for teaching statistical issues to the neuroimaging community and the development of online classes that have taught fMRI methods to more than 100,000 students world-wide.