Project description
Early detection of gliomas and brain metastases is made possible by AI
Research in cancer neuroscience has revealed that detrimental brain networks contribute to tumour aggressiveness. However, no imaging tool is currently available that effectively translates these findings into clinical metrics. The ERC-funded CONNECT project will establish functional connectivity MRI (fcMRI) as a clinical tool for large-scale brain networks. It will develop AI methods to detect and quantify anomalies in patients with glioma and those at risk of brain metastases. It will create a reference database of healthy brain connectivity profiles. The project’s findings will link fcMRI anomalies to structural changes and genomic data to enable early detection and improve patient care in oncologic brain diseases and potentially extend to neurodegenerative disorders.
Objective
The overall goal of CONNECT is to establish functional connectivity MRI (fcMRI) as a quantitative imaging tool of large-scale brain networks, ready for clinical application. Cancer neuroscience has demonstrated that harmful brain networks drive tumor aggressiveness, yet no imaging tool translates these findings into clinical metrics.
With CONNECT, I aim to develop AI-powered fcMRI anomaly detection, mapping and quantification in individual patients based on normative reference data, then establish the structural and neuropathological underpinnings of detected fcMRI anomalies and finally demonstrate their clinical potential in patients with oncologic brain diseases.
To achieve this, I will create a reference database of healthy connectivity profiles by leveraging existing fMRI datasets, integrating variability across demographics and MRI protocols to ensure broad applicability. Based on this database, I will develop AI-powered tools for fcMRI anomaly detection at speed and scale. To demonstrate biological validity and clinical utility, CONNECT will establish two cohorts undergoing repeated MRI: patients with glioma and patients at risk for brain metastases from breast or lung cancer. To confirm biological validity, CONNECT will relate detected fcMRI anomalies to structural connectivity changes and transcriptomic findings from connectivity-guided tumor sampling. To demonstrate clinical utility, CONNECT will demonstrate fcMRI’s potential for early detection and prognostication in these patients.
CONNECT represents a significant leap forward by transforming fcMRI from a promising research tool into an accessible technology for clinical application, thereby translating cancer neuroscience insights into improved patient care. This approach has great potential to extend to neurodegenerative diseases, amplifying its impact across neurological disorders.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences computer and information sciences databases
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
- Functional connectivity MRI
- brain networks
- anomaly detection
- reference data
- AI-supported normative modelling
- clinical application
- oncologic brain disorders
- brain metastases
- glioma
- breast cancer
- lung cancer
- cancer neuroscience
- structural connectivity
- diffusion tensor imaging
- transcriptomics
- spatial transcriptomics
- early detection of disease
- therapy monitoring
- prognostication
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2025-COG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
80539 Planegg
Germany
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.