“Towards illuminating childhood development with diffuse optical tomography”

Hosted by the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology (MIR)

Dr. Adam Eggebrecht received a PhD in Physics in 2009 from Washington University in Saint Louis in the lab of Dr. Ralf Wessel where he studied systems neuroscience with a focus on information processing in in vivo models of the early visual system including chickens and frogs. For his postdoc, he moved across forest park to the lab of Dr. Joseph Culver to work on developing diffuse optical tomography methods (DOT) for non-invasive mapping of human brain function. His early work in the lab focused on developing data registration methods, increasing the wearability of DOT while expanding the field of view and increasing SNR, and validating against fMRI. In 2012, he was awarded a Meixner Translational postdoctoral fellowship from Autism Speaks to develop DOT for studies in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In 2015, Dr. Eggebrecht was awarded a K01 Career Development Award from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to further develop DOT for studies in school-aged children with ASD. In 2017, Dr. Eggebrecht was awarded an R21 to optimize DOT for studying language processing during early childhood development including in those with ASD. Dr. Eggebrecht was promoted to Assistant Professor in 2017. Dr. Eggebrecht’s lab focuses on three major themes: (1) developing DOT hardware and software methods for minimally constrained and non-invasive mapping of human brain function, (2) applying DOT and fMRI methods to studies in childhood development with a focus on ASD, and (3) developing network level statistical methods for relating brain function to behavior, exposure, and outcome. To further these aims, Dr. Eggebrecht collaborates with clinicians and scientists in radiology, psychiatry, neurology, anesthesiology, and computer science at Washington University and beyond. In 2020, Dr. Eggebrecht received a BRAINS R01 from NIMH for a prospective longitudinal study of early childhood brain function and behavior in awake and engaged infants and toddlers at risk for developing ASD.

For inquiries contact Margaret Morton.