Vici project "Mesoscale MRI: a window on the functional subunits of the human cerebellum"

In 2026, Wietske was awarded a Vici project to work on cerebellar mesoscale MRI. 

The human cerebellum is an intricately shaped brain region, implicated in a wide range of functions. The cerebellar cortex, a thin layer of grey matter, is very tightly folded, resulting in a highly convoluted architecture. Its visualisation requires detailed imaging, beyond what is currently possible in humans in vivo. In contrast, current structural and even functional MRI of the cerebrum, or forebrain, can access mesoscale structures that span hundreds of microns, including the columns and layers that form the functional subunits of the cerebral cortex. As this is not yet possible in the cerebellar cortex, the cerebellum remains an understudied area in neuroscience and is often ignored in brain function studies, leading to an incomplete understanding of brain function.

Mesoscale cerebellar imaging in human in vivo will provide new insights into the cerebellar functional organisation and potentially new biomarkers for patients with cerebellar disease.

Watch this space for results! 

May 2026: We're HIRING!! Currently we are looking for one postdoctoral researcher and a PhD student to join the lab in September 2026. 

Acquisition protocols

Please cite the appropriate references if you use these in your own research. 

• 0.4mm MP2RAGE used for grey/white matter segmentation: download here 

• 0.2mm GRE/FLASH used for cerebellar layer visualisation: download here

• 1.0mm 3D-EPI used for cerebellar fMRI: download here

• rfshims cerebellum: download here

Analysis tools

• Github repository cerebellar surface pipeline: https://github.com/piloubazin/cerebellar-cortex/ 

• Github repository laminar analysis fMRI: https://github.com/gjheij/fmriproc 

Contact/questions

If you need examcard files, have questions about the pipelines or about cerebellar imaging in general, feel free to contact us. 

References

Brouwer EJP, Priovoulos N, van der Zwaag W. Distinct Cerebellar Responses for Flexing, Extending and Stroking Tasks Using 7 T fMRI. Brain Topogr. 2025 Oct 14;38(6):76. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10548-025-01135-w 

Brouwer EJP, Priovoulos N, Hashimoto J, van der Zwaag W. Proprioceptive engagement of the human cerebellum studied with 7T-fMRI. Imaging Neurosci (Camb). 2024 Aug 14;2:imag-2-00268. https://doi.org/10.1162/imag_a_00268 

Priovoulos, N., Andersen, M., Dumoulin, S.O., Boer, V.O., van der Zwaag, W., 2023a. High-Resolution Motion-corrected 7.0-T MRI to Derive Morphologic Measures from the Human Cerebellum in Vivo. Radiology 220989. https://doi.org/10.1148/ 

Bazin, P.-L., Nijsse, H.E., van der Zwaag, W., Gallichan, D., Alkemade, A., Vos, F.M., Forstmann, B.U., Caan, M.W.A., 2020. Sharpness in motion corrected quantitative imaging at 7T. NeuroImage 222, 117227. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117227 

Brouwer EJP, van der Zwaag W, Heij J, Priovoulos N. Easy-to-use B1+ shims for human brain imaging at 7 T. Magn Reson Med. 2025 Nov;94(5):2010-2022. https://doi.org/10.1002/mrm.30617