MS Lab History and Mission Statement:

The Brain Imaging Research Laboratory, University of Colorado, originated as an MS imaging research laboratory at the University of Rochester, Rochester NY. In the late 1980's, we were invited by colleagues to develop a computerized methodology for quantitative MR outcome measures and serve as the central reading/analysis center for a five center relapsing MS trial through the NIH. The study was funded by NIH R01-26321 (Lawrence Jacobs, M.D., PI), and became known as the phase III Multiple Sclerosis Collaborative Research Group trial.

Before the study started to accrue cases, the Laboratory moved in 1989 to the campus of the University of Colorado Denver in Denver. The laboratory continued research efforts started at the University of Rochester in white matter characterization by MRI and MRS, and atrophy studies, as well as automated image processing methodologies, exploring bi-feature space methods, neural network (artificial intelligence) methods, and the gold standard- manual trace methods.

Subsequently, the laboratory has been the central reading/analysis center for multiple phase II and III trials, has been instrumental in developing trial design, MR methodology in clinical trials, and basic MRI based MS research. Multiple research and consulting collaborations are in place with researchers, university laboratories, and biotechnology/pharmaceutical companies in the United States, Europe, and Asia. The Laboratory expanded its efforts to include general methods for brain imaging, and in the future will continue to provide brain analyses for sponsored clinical trials, basic research studies, and interdepartmental studies including those related to the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored 3T MR research program.

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