Organized by the PROVIDI Lab, Image Sciences Institute, University Medical Center Utrecht               Introduction       Registration       Venue & Housing       Literature       Faculty       Programme       Contact

We are very excited to announce the fifth ExploreDTI Workshop, to be held in Utrecht, the Netherlands (12-14 March, 2018).

This 3-day workshop includes both the theory and practice of processing, analyzing, and visualizing diffusion MRI data. Key concepts and practical considerations of data processing and analysis are explained with lectures. During the hands-on practical sessions, attendees will learn how to use the ExploreDTI toolbox with real diffusion MRI data. While computers and data are available on site, attendees are allowed to bring their own laptop and data sets.

After completing this ExploreDTI course, one should be able to process, analyze, and visualize their own diffusion MRI data sets.

This course is aimed at both new and existing users of ExploreDTI and will cover both basic and advanced features. The diffusion topics covered are primarily intended for applications in basic science and clinical research and can be summarized as:

1. Quality assessment
   • Residual maps
   • Estimation methods (OLLS, WLLS, NLS, REKINDLE)
2. Artifact correction
   • Signal drift
   • Gibbs Ringing
   • Subject motion and eddy current-induced distortions
   • EPI deformations
3. Diffusion approaches
   • Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)
   • Diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI)
   • Spherical deconvolution (SD)
4. Fiber tractography
   • Virtual dissection
   • Fiber bundle segment
   • Along-track analysis
5. Automated analyses
   • ROIs (native/atlas space)
   • Tract pathways
   • Connectomics
6. Visualization
   • ROIs
   • Tract pathways
   • Connectomes
   • Making Animations

All lectures and material will be in English. For this course 1.0 ECTS credit is designated.

The registration fee (in EUR) is €500 for academic attendees such as students (BSc/MSc/PhD), postdocs, professors, etc. For commercial attendees, the registration fee is €750. Course registration includes lectures, computer practical sessions, coffee/tea breaks and lunches for each day, one dinner (13th of March), a course certificate, and a "surprise gift". The registration fee does not include accommodation. All course materials, including lecture slides, tutorial instructions, and example data sets will be made available after the course.

You can register for this ExploreDTI workshop here. Once the payment is received, registration of the workshop attendee will be confirmed.

Note: the maximum number of attendees is 36 to guarantee the high level of educational support (roughly 3/1 ratio for attendee/tutor). Registration will close on March 1st 2018 at the latest or if the maximum number of participants has been reached.

The ExploreDTI workshop will take place at the University Medical Center Utrecht, 100 Heidelberglaan, 3584 CX Utrecht, the Netherlands. More specific details about room locations are given below (see Programme).

You will need to organise your own housing for the workshop. The historic downtown area of Utrecht is highly recommended given its beautiful canals and the large choice in bars and restaurants. From downtown, it takes roughly 15 minutes by bus (number 12) to get to the venue. Popular accomodations are NH Hotel and the Apollo Hotel, among others.

For people with little background in diffusion MRI, we would like to suggest the following literature:

• Jones DK et al. Methods Mol Biol. 2011;711:127-44.
• Tournier JD et al. Magn Reson Med. 2011;65(6):1532-56.
• Jones DK. Diffusion MRI: Theory, Methods, and Applications.
• Johansen-Berg H & Behrens T. Diffusion MRI: From Quantitative Measurement to In Vivo Neuroanatomy.
• Van Hecke W et al. Diffusion Tensor Imaging: A Practical Handbook.
• Stieltjes B et al. Diffusion Tensor Imaging: Introduction and Atlas.
• Mori S & Tournier JD. Introduction to Diffusion Tensor Imaging And Higher Order Models.

Workshop organizers
Szabolcs Dávid, Alexander Leemans, and Hamed Mesri

Speakers
Alexander Leemans: PROVIDI Lab, Image Sciences Institute, UMC Utrecht, the Netherlands

Additional lecturers
Szabolcs Dávid, Fenghua Guo, Wieke Haakma, Alberto De Luca, Hamed Mesri, Lara Schlaffke, and Samuel St-Jean.

On Sunday 11 March, we plan to have an informal get-together in the evening (20:00 - ...) at Café Olivier, located in the heart of Utrecht (see map). Note that this social event is optional as many of you may prefer a hotel bed over Belgian beers after a long journey ;-)!

The tentative programme schedule for the 3-day workshop is shown below. The lectures will be given in the "Van Peperzeelzaal" lecture hall (Q.0S.3.01). The hands-on sessions will take place in the computer rooms (Q.0S.2.28, Q.0S.3.04 & Q.0S.3.05). Please note that there may be some adjustments to the timetable and teaching faculty. Details about locations for dinner & drinks will follow later.

If you have any queries about this ExploreDTI workshop, please email workshop@exploredti.com.