OptiMAL:
OPTIcally pumped MAgnetoencephalography Lab for capturing human brain dynamics underlying cognition and perception

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How do brain areas communicate in order to make sense of our world and make decisions?
How does this communication develop in childhood, or indeed in the womb?

The Carlsberg Research Infrastructure Grant will allow Professor Sarang Dalal from CFIN to acquire
a next-generation magnetoencephalography (MEG) system that can help address these questions.

This system is based on recently developed quantum sensor technology – optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs) – which exquisitely measures the tiny magnetic signals generated by the human brain. Unlike conventional MEG systems designed with rigid helmets, OPMs can be placed directly on the head or body. This enables researchers to observe the working human brain with greater detail than ever before, also adapting better to children, and – with sensors on a pregnant mother's abdomen – even the brain of a baby developing in the womb. It will furthermore facilitate direct measurements of other parts of the nervous system like the retina and spinal cord. An OPM-MEG system will ultimately help to capture and better understand the mechanisms of neural processing, cognition, and perception in people across all ages.

The Infrastructure grant is for DKK 2,945,986.

Read more about the Carlsberg Foundation awards funding of almost DKK 460 million for Danish research:
https://www.carlsbergfondet.dk/en/News/News-from-the-Foundation/News/DKK-460-million-for-Danish-research

Contact

Professor Sarang Dalal
sarang@cfin.au.dk
https://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/sarang%40cfin.au.dk