HPC Advance Brain Health Research

The University of Arizona is helping unlock the mysteries of how our brains age, one powerful MRI scan at a time.

At the center of this work is the Precision Aging Network (PAN), a nationwide study led by Dr. Carol Barnes that’s examining more than 1,000 diverse participants across four U.S. cities: Atlanta, Baltimore, Miami, and Tucson. The goal? To better understand how factors like heart health, blood sugar, inflammation, and even genetics influence cognitive decline as we age.

To make sense of this enormous amount of data, PAN relies on cutting-edge neuroimaging. Each participant undergoes a series of detailed brain scans – anatomical, functional, diffusion, and perfusion MRI, that provide a rich view of brain structure and activity. But analyzing these complex images requires immense computing power, which is where the University of Arizona’s High-Performance Computing (HPC) systems come in.

Working alongside PAN is the Brain and Body Imaging Center (BBIC), led by Dr. Lee Ryan with Drs. Maria Altbach, Nan-kuei Chen, and Ted Trouard on its executive committee. Their team processes and analyzes all the MRI data from PAN, using the university’s world-class supercomputers to handle millions of 3D data points, called voxels, per scan.

“These datasets are extraordinarily rich,” Ryan said. “Our high-performance computing environment allows us to run hundreds of demanding workflows in parallel, producing precise biomarkers that help us model healthy aging.”

Without HPC, this work would take years longer. Thanks to the expertise of the university’s HPC staff, the system runs efficiently, enabling researchers to troubleshoot quickly and push the boundaries of what’s possible in neuroscience.

Each processed scan contributes to a bigger picture: how biology, lifestyle, and environment combine to shape the aging process. Ultimately, PAN aims to use this knowledge to create personalized approaches for maintaining brain health throughout life.

As Ryan puts it, “We’re not just studying aging. We’re redefining what it means to age well.”

Information for this story was drawn from materials presented by Chris Reidy during his IT Summit poster session, High Performance Computing.