NeuroSchool seminar: Renzo Huber

MR-sequence improvements in the last decade have allowed ultra-high resolutions to probe the basic neural building blocks of cortical layers and columns. Mapping the activity within these sub-millimeter structures can open the door to investigating mesoscale neural circuitry and shed light on the biological mechanisms in humans using non-invasive methods. In his research, Renzo aims to push past the constraints of high-resolution fMRI to take it from methods-focused proof-of-principle studies to solutions for routine neuroscience practice that are usable by non-MRI experts. In his PhD at the Max Planck Institute in Leipzig, he developed an imaging contrast that is sensitive to cortical microvasculature and combined it with efficient MR readout techniques. During his postdoc at the NIH, he optimized and applied this layer-specific VASO-fMRI in proof-of-principle studies addressing basic neuroscience questions under the supervision of Peter Bandettini. He showed in human volunteers that motor output emerges from layer 5 neurons, while sensory-motor feedback terminates in layers 2/3. Similarly, he was also able to show working memory information processing in superficial layers of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and prediction error calculations in feedback layers of the primary somatosensory cortex. In 2018, Renzo was awarded a Dutch VENI Fellowship to further advance the layer-fMRI methodology and prepare it for the mass market. As an asst. Professor at Maastricht University, he developed the first whole-brain layer-fMRI protocol, which significantly simplifies the experimental planning efforts. This layer-specific fMRI sequence takes the investigation of brain circuitry in humans up to a whole new level.