Indian-American Bharat Biswal, a trailblazer in neural imaging, has been honored with the New Jersey Institute of Technology’s (NJIT) 2024 Excellence in Research Award for his transformative contributions to brain imaging and understanding neural connectivity.

Biswal’s groundbreaking work has revolutionized neuroscience, enabling researchers and clinicians to explore brain functions and diseases innovatively.

Revolutionizing Brain Imaging

In the early 1990s, Biswal introduced the concept of resting-state functional MRI (fMRI), which captures neural activity across the brain’s networks while the subject remains at rest.

This was a radical departure from the traditional task-response methodology that dominated neuroscience then. Biswal’s approach allowed for a comprehensive analysis of neural networks and their connections, even in individuals unable to perform specific tasks, such as infants, elderly patients, or those with neurological impairments.

“At the time, it was perceived as a crazy idea in neuroscience,” Biswal recalls, “but as an engineer, I wanted to understand the entire system of neural networks at baseline conditions. With one scan, we could observe activity in the motor, visual, and speech regions, for example.”

Today, resting-state brain connectivity is a foundational tool in neuroscience and one of three required approaches in the National Institutes of Health’s Human Connectome Project.

It has become indispensable in the study of neurodegenerative diseases, brain injuries, and cognitive states such as attention, emotion, and addiction.

Focus on Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases

Biswal’s current research is focused on Alzheimer’s disease, where he examines neural signaling differences between individuals with the condition and those experiencing normal aging.

His team’s work involves analyzing connections between the brain’s gray and white matter to identify weak links associated with cognitive deficits. These insights aim to improve the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of Alzheimer’s.

“Alzheimer’s is particularly challenging because people can’t perform tasks and may forget right away what they’ve been asked to do,” he explains. “We want to see which regions, such as memory or emotion, have been compromised, and correlate that with clinical measures, including cognitive tests.”

Using advanced machine learning and analytics, Biswal’s team is pioneering comprehensive analyses of white matter function and its effects on cognition. They are also collaborating with international research groups to compile a database of over 100,000 fMRI scans.

This vast dataset is being used to standardize testing methodologies and enhance the reliability of their findings. Even minute differences, such as whether subjects keep their eyes open or closed during scans, are meticulously accounted for.

The ultimate goal of Biswal’s research is to develop biomarkers for neural diseases and assess the efficacy of various therapies, including pharmacological drugs and physical interventions.

By tracking changes in neural networks over time, his team aims to identify effective treatments and understand how they impact brain connectivity.

A Legacy of Excellence

Since joining NJIT in 2012, Biswal has secured over $8 million in extramural funding and garnered more than 48,000 citations for his work. His most-referenced paper alone has been cited over 10,000 times.

In 2016, he was promoted to distinguished professor and elected a fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering.

NJIT’s senior vice provost for research, Atam Dhawan, lauded Biswal’s achievements, stating, “His accomplishments have catalyzed a paradigm shift in our understanding of the resting human brain and its networks.

This shift has opened new avenues for exploring the neural basis of human cognition and pathology, fundamentally altering how scientists and clinicians approach neurological and psychiatric conditions.”

Gratitude and Collaboration

Biswal expressed deep gratitude upon receiving the award, thanking NJIT’s selection committee, senior administration, and his research team.

“I’m particularly grateful to all the undergraduate researchers who, despite their very busy schedules, still make time to do research and contribute very meaningful work, and to the graduate students, postdocs, and colleagues who helped me in this research,” he said.

Biswal’s innovative techniques and collaborative spirit continue to shape the future of neuroscience, offering hope for more effective treatments for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and other brain-related conditions.

His work exemplifies the profound impact of combining engineering expertise with biomedical research, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in understanding the human brain.