Research output per year
Research output per year
Personal profile
Biography
My research is at the intersection of neuroimaging with emphasis on MRI, biomedical engineering, computational neuroscience, and fundamental neuroscience. The ultimate goals are to enable non-invasive quantitative MRI measurements that can be used to infer neuronal and vessel function in the human brain, and to further our understanding neurovascular coupling mechanisms in health and neurovascular pathologies. On the technical side, my research group develops innovative MRI methods at human ultra-high field (7 tesla) to enable measurements of neuro-vascular function at the level of detail that is fundamental for brain function (μm to few mm). On the neuroscience side, my group seeks to elucidate neurovascular coupling mechanisms in the human brain at the same level of detail. A large part of this research focuses on the development and validation of computational models that can enable quantitative assessment of neuro-vascular function from MRI measurements. This includes assessment of spatial (e.g. laminar) and temporal aspects of function of neuronal populations and of intracortical vessels (e.g. vascular reactivity, blood flow patterns). We build methods and fundamental knowledge by studying the healthy human brain, and apply these to neurovascular pathologies with a specific interest in dementia.
My training blends neuroimaging, MRI physics, biomedical engineering, computing, and neuroscience with a focus on neurovascular coupling and neurophysiology. My Master’s training was in biomedical engineering and MR spectroscopy, at the George Washington University, Washington DC USA, and the In Vivo NMR Research Center of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), USA. I pursued my doctoral research at the unit of functional imaging methods, NIMH, NIH USA, which exposed me to pioneers and experts in functional MRI and MRI, (neuro)physiological mechanisms underlying fMRI signals, as well as electrophysiology and properties of neuronal circuits. I pursued my post-doctoral training as a Sir Peter Mansfield fellow (Nobel Prize for Medicine 2003) at the University of Nottingham UK, and have worked on advanced 7 tesla fMRI techniques since the early days of human 7 tesla MRI scanners. As a post-doc at the University Medical Center Utrecht, I was in the front-lines of cortical depth-resolved fMRI (laminar fMRI) development for the human brain, and I eventually started my own group zooming in on neurovascular coupling. Each of these informs the current research of my group, in which we take an integrated approach to understand the mechanisms of neurovascular coupling in health and disease, spanning advanced neuroimaging methods development, computational modelling, and the relationship between neuronal and vascular function in the human brain.
Fellowship & awards
Grants as principal PI
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2013 |
VIDI, NWO Applied & Engineering Sciences; “Measuring neuronal activity in humans: From Blood to Neuron” |
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Innovational Research Incentives Scheme personal program grant focusing on the development of ultra-high field (7T) fMRI methods for measuring spatially detailed neuronal activity in humans, validated with intra-cranial human electrophysiology (ECoG). | ||
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2013 |
ASPASIA, NWO |
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Personal program grant for the advancement of talented female scientists in academia. | ||
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2014 |
NWO Medium Investment grant; ”Detailed imaging of human brain function” |
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Project to develop a high-density signal receive head coil-array for very high spatiotemporal resolution functional MRI of the human brain. | ||
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2016 |
BRAIN Initiative, National Institutes of Health (NIH); “Development and validation of empirical models of the neuronal population activity underlying non-invasive human brain measurements” |
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Transatlantic consortium program focusing on the development and validation of computational models of the neuronal population activity underlying non-invasive human brain measurements, based on empirical measurements from the human brain obtained with fMRI at 3T and 7T, MEG, EEG, and intra-cranial electrophysiology (ECoG). Receiving a BRAIN Initiative award as a non-USA based principal PI is exceptional (~1% rate). | ||
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2017 |
NIH diversity program grant |
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Grant under a special call to promote diversity in health-related research. The funds supported a female bachelor’s student to gain a 2-year research experience in neuroscience. | ||
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2021 |
Top Sector Life Sciences & Health (LSH) – NWO. Human Measurement Models 2.0 program; “Virtual Cerebrovascular Responses: Modeling the human cortical vasculature to understand brain function in health and disease” |
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Public-private consortium program (2 UMCs – 2 SMEs) focusing on the development and validation of a computational model of cortical vessel function in the human brain that will bridge the gap between the information obtained with functional MRI and the underlying biology. Validation involves multi-contrast 7T functional MRI and intra-cranial instrinsic signal optical imaging from the human brain. The model will help optimize the functional measurements to stage neurovascular disease severity and to interpret the observed changes. | ||
Grants as co-PI
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2010 |
Focus & Massa, Neuroscience and Cognition Utrecht |
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Project investigating the causal link between cortical organization and conscious perception using fMRI and electrophysiology in humans. | ||
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2016 |
NWO scientist visit grant |
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Award for short-term support/visit of an international scientist to collaborate on project ”Pushing the limit of fMRI in speed and detail” | ||
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2022 |
NWO Medical Research Domain (ZonMw); “Mechanisms of Dementia (MODEM)” |
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Consortium program focusing on elucidating the biological mechanisms that lead to dementia, or protect against it, aiming to help in the improvement of diagnostics and developing medical treatments. | ||
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2023 |
NWO National Roadmap - Large Scale Infrastructure ; “DYNAMIC” |
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The Dutch National 14Tesla Initiative in Medical Science (DYNAMIC) consortium program to establish a 14T MRI system as an (inter)national resource for the development of ultra-high field imaging techniques and their application in Neuroscience and Medicine. | ||
Honors/Awards
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2021 |
Aspasia nomination for the advancement of exceptionally talented female scientists, Dutch Research Council |
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2014 |
Outstanding Teacher Award, International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine |
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2013 |
Aspasia award for the advancement of exceptionally talented female scientists, Dutch Research Council |
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2006 |
Sir Peter Mansfield Fellowship, Sir Peter Mansfield Magnetic Resonance Center, University of Nottingham |
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2002 |
Fellows Award for Research Excellence , National Institutes of Health |
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or
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A fully synthetic three-dimensional human cerebrovascular model based on histological characteristics to investigate the hemodynamic fingerprint of the layer BOLD fMRI signal formation
Báez-Yáñez, M. G., Schellekens, W., Bhogal, A. A., Roefs, E. C. A., van Osch, M. J. P., Siero, J. C. & Petridou, N., 26 May 2024, BioRxiv, p. 1-38.Research output: Working paper › Preprint › Academic
File -
Biophysical modeling: An approach for understanding the physiological fingerprint of the BOLD fMRI signal
Báez-Yáñez, M. G. & Petridou, N., 2024, Computational and Network Modeling of Neuroimaging Data. Kay, K. (ed.). Elsevier, p. 119-157 39 p.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › Academic › peer-review
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On the influence of the vascular architecture on Gradient Echo and Spin Echo BOLD fMRI signals across cortical depth: a simulation approach based on realistic 3D vascular networks
Báez-Yáñez, M. G., Siero, J. C. W., Curcic, V., van Osch, M. J. P. & Petridou, N., 30 May 2024, BioRxiv, 33 p. (bioRxiv).Research output: Working paper › Preprint › Academic
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The contribution of the vascular architecture and cerebrovascular reactivity to the BOLD signal formation across cortical depth
Roefs, E. C. A., Schellekens, W., Báez-Yáñez, M. G., Bhogal, A. A., Groen, I. I. A., van Osch, M. J. P., Siero, J. C. W. & Petridou, N., 1 Jun 2024, In: Imaging neuroscience (Cambridge, Mass.). 2, p. 1-19 19 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review
Open AccessFile2 Downloads (Pure) -
A mechanistic computational framework to investigate the hemodynamic fingerprint of the blood oxygenation level-dependent signal
Báez-Yáñez, M. G., Siero, J. C. W. & Petridou, N., Dec 2023, In: NMR in Biomedicine. 36, 12, e5026.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review
Open AccessFile5 Downloads (Pure)