OVERVIEW

The Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center (BNAC) was established in 2000 as a quantitative imaging research center with the goal of extending the boundaries of current knowledge about neurological diseases and disorders through innovative research techniques and the application of bioinformatics resources. With the aid of talented researchers the BNAC grew quickly. The Center is equipped with the necessary technology, software and experience to carry out specialized neuroimaging studies, and houses a computer center that performs quantitative analysis of MRI scans. The BNAC network, designed for security and speed, connects 30 workstations to the server and backup server. Gigabytes Ethernet-based networking provides high-speed access to data from anywhere on the BNAC network. Connections managed by firewalls allow a constant flow of new images from external MRI centers to its internal network, allowing scans to arrive at the BNAC within minutes of acquisition.

In addition to the BNAC Director, BNAC Senior Staff comprises Directors of  Technical Imaging, Clinical Research, Translational Research, MRI Sequence Development, MRI Analysis, Doppler Ultrasound, Administrative and Development. General BNAC staff includes the following positions: Chief of Algorithm and Multimodal Integration Research, Integration Director, Software Quality Engineer, MRI Tech/Research Assistant, MRI Programmer, 3 Clinical Trial Managers, Senior Project Coordinator, 2 Project Coordinators, Senior Clinical Database Manager, Biostatistician, Quality Assurance Officer, Clinical Trial Manager/Sr. Clinical Trial Research Assistant, a Clinical Trial Neuroimager/Sr. Clinical Trial Research Assistant, Registered Vascular Technologist, 3 Clinical Trial Research Assistants, Executive Aide, 3 Administrative Assistants and a Clinical Trial Administrative Assistant. In addition, 2 Training Record Managers and a Senior Document Manager manage BNAC standard operating procedures on a part-time basis. Two certified clinical neuroimagers, two MRI technicans and an Ultrasound technican collaborate with BNAC on a part-time basis.

Since its inception, BNAC has been establishing itself as a world leader in performing global and regional brain atrophy measurements in multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurodegenerative disorders. The BNAC also computes a variety of other conventional and non-conventional quantitative brain MRI measurements: estimates of T2-, T1-, gadolinium-enhancing and confluence lesion volumes and calculation of global and regional magnetization transfer, diffusion weighted and tensor, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, cerebrospinal fluid imaging, susceptibility-weighted imaging, functional MRI (fMRI), perfusion and atrophy MRI indices. In addition, BNAC has recently expanded its research to the spinal cord and optic nerve imaging.

From the start, BNAC research projects have involved international collaboration with a variety of clinicians and scientists pursuing the use of quantitative MRI to study brain disorders. The BNAC has participated in global research studies with grant funding of $20 million and established affiliations with more than twenty institutions worldwide.