Microstructure & Connectivity Lab 
at the Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science (VUIIS) 

Hello and welcome!

Welcome to the Microstructure & Connectivity (M&C) Lab! We're a multidisciplinary research team based at the Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science (VUIIS) and the Department of Radiology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

We use advanced MRI methods—including diffusion imaging, functional imaging, microstructure modeling, and connectivity analysis—to explore the intricate organization of the brain and spinal cord in both health and disease. Our ultimate goal is to enhance biomedical imaging and improve patient care through innovative imaging techniques, machine learning, and collaborative clinical research.

Whether you're a fellow researcher, a prospective student, or someone interested in participating in our studies, we invite you to explore our website. For detailed information about our current projects, please visit our research page. You can also view our publications, meet our team, access available resources, or contact us directly.

Thank you for your interest in the M&C Lab!

Recent Publications

Considerations and recommendations from the ISMRM diffusion study group for preclinical diffusion MRI: 

Part 1: In vivo small-animal imaging (Jelescu et al., 2025)
Part 2: Ex vivo imaging: Added value and acquisition (Schilling et al., 2025)
Part 3: Ex vivo imaging: Data processing, comparisons with microscopy, and tractography (Schilling et al., 2025)

Research

Our research focuses on advancing imaging methods to better understand the microstructure and structural connectivity of the brain and spinal cord

Our team

Meet our team to collaborate, experiment, and contribute to microstructure & connectivity research.

Publications

Browse our latest publications covering advances in diffusion MRI, microstructure modeling, and brain connectivity. Our publications are available for immediate download. 

Resources

We aim to enable reproducible research by offering open-source code and medical imaging datasets. Explore these resources (including lectures and tutorials) for your own microstructure & connectivity studies.