Build an internationally recognized community of neuroimaging researchers studying brain structure and function.
CAHBIR
The Center for Advanced Human Brain Imaging Research (CAHBIR) offers cutting-edge neuroimaging technologies to advance research on brain function, structure, and disorders, supporting diverse studies in neuroscience and clinical applications.
Who We Are
The Center for Advanced Human Brain Imaging Research (CAHBIR) at the BHI is dedicated to achieving high-quality brain research using state- of-the-art human neuroimaging techniques. CAHBIR’s mission is to apply the latest brain scanning and neuromodulation methods so that researchers can push the boundaries of exploration about how the human brain functions in health and disease.
Initiatives and Goals
Develop studies exploring a wide range of human brain disorders ranging from addiction psychiatry to Alzheimer’s disease to better understand mechanistic processes that contribute to illness.
Use neuroimaging to develop diagnostic tools and biomarkers capable of improving prognosis, clinical decision-making and treatment outcomes.
Integrate neuromodulation of the human brain with measures of brain activity to determine the causal effects of noninvasive brain stimulation on mood, cognition and behavior.
Research and Facilities
Research at the center aims to expand the integration of human brain neuroimaging with the clinical research being conducted by other centers at Rutgers to better understand the neural signatures related to neurological and psychiatric disorders.
Specific ongoing projects focus on aging and dementia, Parkinson’s disease, substance use disorders, depression and schizophrenia.
An additional focus is the integration of machine learning/AI techniques to improve the ability to predict clinical characteristics based on multi-modal neuroimaging data.
CAHBIR has a state-of-the-art 3 Tesla Prisma MRI. In 2024, CAHBIR added new EEG and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) core facilities that can be used for both investigational and interventional human brain research studies.
Our Director
Dr. David Zald is the inaugural Director of the Center for Advanced Human Brain Imaging Research (CAHBIR) at Rutgers and serves as the Henry Rutgers Professor of Psychiatry. With over 25 years of experience in neuroimaging research, Dr. Zald’s work combines MRI and PET imaging to explore the connections between brain structure, function, and individual differences in psychopathology. Recruited by the Brain Health Institute in 2020, Dr. Zald leads CAHBIR’s mission to advance high-quality brain research by applying cutting-edge neuroimaging techniques. Under his leadership, CAHBIR strives to push the boundaries of knowledge on how the human brain functions in both health and disease.
Explore Our Other Centers
Discover the groundbreaking work happening across all our Centers of Excellence. Each center contributes uniquely to advancing neuroscience research and innovation.
