Research Summary:

Presently, Dr. Gao’s research activities are focused on several areas: (1) development of a novel fMRI technique, termed neuronal current MRI, that allows for substantial enhancement in the detection of brain activity in terms of both spatial and temporal resolution; (2) study of the biophysical mechanism of the homodynamic-based fMRI signal, and exploring the relationship between cerebral blood flow and oxygen metabolism during neuronal stimulation; (3) MRI measurements of the current density distribution in a body when an external current source is applied; (4) Mapping of brain activation in the actions of glucose and alcohol.