[Neuroimaging] Join QuantConn a MICCAI 2023 harmonization challenge for dMRI data!

[Eleftherios Garyfallidis]

Hello Imagers!,

This summer I am involved with the co-organization of a really exciting
scientific challenge. Therefore, I am writing to introduce you to QuantConn
<http://cmic.cs.ucl.ac.uk/cdmri/challenge.html>, a MICCAI 2023 competition
that aims to address the challenge of harmonizing diverse DW
(Diffusion-Weighted) images acquired from two distinct  diffusion
acquisition protocols, both collected in the same scanning session.

[image: image.png]

The primary objective of this competition is to preprocess the DW images
from the two acquisition protocols, making them as similar as possible
while preserving key information. We encourage participants to explore a
wide range of methods and techniques within the preprocessing pipeline to
achieve this goal. Your innovative solutions could include explicit image
harmonization methods, denoising approaches, super resolution techniques,
or any other strategies that effectively retain the biological differences
while mitigating the disparities caused by different acquisition protocols.

Here are some key details regarding the competition:

   -

   Dataset: Thanks to our colleagues at QIMR Berghofer Medical Research
   Institute, we  have curated a newly released dataset comprising 100
   subjects with paired data from two distinct diffusion acquisition protocols.
   The dataset is available for download here
   <https://vanderbilt.app.box.com/s/owijt2mo2vhrp3rjonf90n3hoinygm8z/folder/208448607516>
   https://vanderbilt.app.box.com/s/owijt2mo2vhrp3rjonf90n3hoinygm8z/folder/208448607516
   .
   -

   Evaluation: The submitted harmonized images will be evaluated based on
   their similarity metrics for microstructure, macrostructure, and
   connectomics.
   -

   Prizes: We will be awarding generous prizes to the top performers.
   Participating teams will also be included as co-authors on the subsequent
   journal publication.
   -

   Registration: One person from the team should fill out this form
   <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScKUFimuY7Pw5e9VuOUPGnp2dznKpI4uy98k6k5TCuEyxnN5w/viewform>.
   We have set up a box.com folder where you will upload your submission.
   There is no fee for challenge entry. You do not need to attend MICCAI to
   participate, but we would love to see you in Vancouver.
   -

   Eligibility: This competition is open to anyone except the organizing
   committee.


To register for the competition and gain access to the dataset and detailed
guidelines, please visit our competition website
<http://cmic.cs.ucl.ac.uk/cdmri/challenge.html>.

We highly encourage you to participate in this captivating competition, as
your expertise and insights can contribute significantly to the advancement
of image harmonization techniques in medical research. By joining this
event, you will not only have the chance to demonstrate your skills but
also make a meaningful impact on the field.

Thank you for considering this opportunity, and we look forward to your
contributions in the QuantConn Challenge!

The QuantConn Organization Team include:

Nancy Newlin, Computer Science, Vanderbilt University

Kurt Schilling, Radiology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine

Neda Jahanshad, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California

Daniel Moyer, Computer Science, Vanderbilt University

Eleftherios Garyfallidis, Intelligent Systems Engineering, Indiana
University

Bennett Landman, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Vanderbilt University

Serge Koudoro, Intelligent Systems Engineering, Indiana University

Bramsh Chandio, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California

Dataset contributions:

Margaret J. Wright, Lachlan Strike

Strike, Lachlan T. and Blokland, Gabriella A.M. and Hansell, Narelle K. and
Martin, Nicholas G. and Toga, Arthur W. and Thompson, Paul M. and de
Zubicaray, Greig I. and McMahon, Katie L. and Wright, Margaret J. (2023).
Queensland Twin IMaging (QTIM). OpenNeuro. [Dataset] doi:
doi:10.18112/openneuro.ds004169.v1.0.7


Should you have any questions or require further clarification, please do
not hesitate to reach out to us at nancy.r.newlin at vanderbilt.edu. We are
here to support you throughout the competition journey.


Thank you all & Happy Hacking!,
Eleftherios Garyfallidis, PhD
Director of Graduate Studies
Associate Professor
Intelligent Systems Engineering
Indiana University
Luddy Hall 700 N Woodlawn
Bloomington, IN 47408
GRG <https://grg.luddy.indiana.edu/> | DIPY <http://dipy.org/> | FURY
<https://fury.gl/>
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