MRtrix: enabling advanced tractography and microstructure analysis of diffusion MRI in the brain
Lead Research Organisation:
King's College London
Department Name: Imaging & Biomedical Engineering
Abstract
MRtrix is an open-source software project to provide high-quality implementations of novel and important technical innovations in the field of diffusion MRI analysis. Diffusion MRI is increasingly used to identify and study brain white matter fibre tracts and to investigate brain connectivity. MRtrix is a valuable software tool used by researchers in medical image processing and visualisation, neuroscience and neurotechnology and is already in use in at least 60 medical centres worldwide, and several commercial products.
MRtrix has so far been maintained by a small team of dedicated academics. However, the success of the project and its widespread adoption now makes it impossible for the team to maintain and enhance the project to the expected standard due to time constraints. The long-term sustainability of the project will require the active participation of a wider range of developers and maintainers, and support from an active community of knowledgeable users.
The aims of this project are therefore four-fold:
- to implement important features that will enable use of the software in a greater range of situations, improve interoperation with other complementary software packages, and ensure MRtrix is ready for future applications.
- to encourage researchers and developers to use MRtrix as the basis for the development and/or dissemination of their own methods (by improving the code documentation, providing online courses and articles, and providing rapid and responsive support);
- to maintain the software, fix outstanding issues, and ease the various processes involved as much as possible.
- to maximise user engagement and participation (by running workshops, providing online tutorials, and improving the documentation);
This project will fund a Research Software Engineer for 3 years to achieve these objectives.
MRtrix has so far been maintained by a small team of dedicated academics. However, the success of the project and its widespread adoption now makes it impossible for the team to maintain and enhance the project to the expected standard due to time constraints. The long-term sustainability of the project will require the active participation of a wider range of developers and maintainers, and support from an active community of knowledgeable users.
The aims of this project are therefore four-fold:
- to implement important features that will enable use of the software in a greater range of situations, improve interoperation with other complementary software packages, and ensure MRtrix is ready for future applications.
- to encourage researchers and developers to use MRtrix as the basis for the development and/or dissemination of their own methods (by improving the code documentation, providing online courses and articles, and providing rapid and responsive support);
- to maintain the software, fix outstanding issues, and ease the various processes involved as much as possible.
- to maximise user engagement and participation (by running workshops, providing online tutorials, and improving the documentation);
This project will fund a Research Software Engineer for 3 years to achieve these objectives.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Jacques-Donald Tournier (Principal Investigator) |