Abstract
The Center for Computational Biology
This talk will describe the research of our new Center for Computational Biology (CCB). Our goals are to apply
computational and mathematical approaches to the study of genes, cells, systems and whole brain. The major
objectives of the CCB are to develop, implement and test computational biology strategies that are applicable
across spatial scales and biological systems. This will help elucidate characteristics and relationships that
would otherwise be impossible to detect and measure. Interactions fostered by this multidisciplinary program
will result in novel strategies to fundamental problems that can be applied to genetics, biochemistry, molecular
biology and brain mapping.
Our view of computational biology considers the problem of constructing atlases - sets of maps on different
spheres of biological information that span many scales and modalities from genotype to phenotype. In this
research we introduce the concept of a computational atlas as a database-like infrastructure that rests on
mathematical advances in modeling and optimization. We will develop the infrastructure for the computational
atlas - a platform for addressing large-scale modeling problems that before now have been intractable.
Biography
Education
B.S. University of Massachusetts, l974 (Psychology - Magna cum Laude)
M.S. St. Louis University, l976 (Neurosciences - cum Laude)
Ph.D. St. Louis University, l978 (Neurosciences - cum Laude)
Experience
Since 1993 Arthur Toga has been Professor in the Department of Neurology and Co-director of the Division of Brain Mapping
in the Neuropsychiatric Institute at UCLA. He is also Assistant Chairman for Research Affairs and Director of the Laboratory of Neuro
Imaging in the Department of Neurology at UCLA. Prior to coming to UCLA, he was Assistant Professor in Neurology and Director of the
Laboratory of Neuro Imaging at Washington University School of Medicine as well as Assistant Professor in Computer Science at
Washington University.
Research
Professor Toga is interested in the development of new algorithms and the computer science aspects important to neuroimaging. New
visualization techniques and statistical measurement are employed in the study of morphometric variability in humans,
subhuman primates and rodents. His laboratory (Laboratory of Neuro Imaging) has been working on the creation of three
dimensional digital neuroanatomic and functional neuroanatomic atlases for stereotactic localization and multisubject
comparison. Specific programs include the development of local deformation techniques to equate brain data sets from
different modalities and different subjects and the development of electronic data bases for the archival, interaction
and distribution of brain data.
Contact:
Department of Neurology
4238 Reed Bldg
UCLA School of Medicine
710 Westwood Plaza
Los Angeles, CA 90024-1769
E-mail: toga@loni.ucla.edu
Tel: (310)206-2101
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