Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Course

The Martinos Center Optics Division is excited to announce a two-day course on functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), an emerging imaging modality with a wide array of potential applications. fNIRS is noninvasive, employs no ionizing radiation and is portable, thus offering practitioners a means to monitor oxygenation and map brain activity at bedside. The introductory course covers the fundamentals of this optical technique and offers hands-on experience in its application. Course topics include: an overview of the physics of fNIRS and imaging of the brain, fNIRS instrumentation, safety issues and the basics of experimental design (for mapping brain activity). The course is geared toward end users in application areas such as clinical monitoring and psychology research. Each day of the course includes a hands-on workshop during which participants apply the concepts taught during the day's seminars.