{"682026":{"#nid":"682026","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Computing Framework Could Reveal Signs of Neuro Disorders Hidden within Brain Data","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA Georgia Tech doctoral student\u2019s dissertation could help physicians diagnose neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, autism, and Alzheimer\u2019s disease. The new approach leverages data science and algorithms instead of relying on traditional methods like cognitive tests and image scans.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPh.D. candidate\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/a-rahaman.github.io\/\u0022\u003EMd Abdur Rahaman\u003C\/a\u003E\u2019s dissertation studies brain data to understand how changes in brain activity shape behavior.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EComputational tools Rahaman developed for his dissertation look for informative patterns between the brain and behavior. Successful tests of his algorithms show promise to help doctors diagnose mental health disorders and design individualized treatment plans for patients.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u0027ve always been fascinated by the human brain and how it defines who we are,\u201d Rahaman said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe fact that so many people silently suffer from neuropsychiatric disorders, while our understanding of the brain remains limited, inspired me to develop tools that bring greater clarity to this complexity and offer hope through more compassionate, data-driven care.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERahaman\u2019s dissertation introduces a framework focusing on granular factoring. This computing technique stratifies brain data into smaller, localized subgroups, making it easier for computers and researchers to study data and find meaningful patterns.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGranular factoring overcomes the challenges of size and heterogeneity in neurological data science. Brain data is obtained from neuroimaging, genomics, behavioral datasets, and other sources. The large size of each source makes it a challenge to study them individually, let alone analyze them simultaneously, to find hidden inferences.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERahaman\u2019s research allows researchers and physicians to move past one-size-fits-all approaches. Instead of manually reviewing tests and scans, algorithms look for patterns and biomarkers in the subgroups that otherwise go undetected, especially ones that indicate neuropsychiatric disorders.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMy dissertation advances the frontiers of computational neuroscience by introducing scalable and interpretable models that navigate brain heterogeneity to reveal how neural dynamics shape behavior,\u201d Rahaman said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBy uncovering subgroup-specific patterns, this work opens new directions for understanding brain function and enables more precise, personalized approaches to mental health care.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERahaman defended his dissertation on April 14, the final step in completing his Ph.D. in computational science and engineering. He will graduate on May 1 at Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/commencement.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EPh.D. Commencement\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter walking across the stage at McCamish Pavilion, Rahaman\u2019s next step in his career is to go to Amazon, where he will work in the generative artificial intelligence (AI) field.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGraduating from Georgia Tech is the summit of an educational trek spanning over a decade. Rahaman hails from Bangladesh where he graduated from Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology in 2013. He attained his master\u2019s from the University of New Mexico in 2019 before starting at Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMunna is an amazingly creative researcher,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/vince-calhoun\u0022\u003EVince Calhoun\u003C\/a\u003E, Rahman\u2019s advisor. Calhoun is the founding director of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/trendscenter.org\/\u0022\u003ETranslational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science Center (TReNDS)\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETReNDS is a tri-institutional center spanning Georgia Tech, Georgia State University, and Emory University that develops analytic approaches and neuroinformatic tools. The center aims to translate the approaches into biomarkers that address areas of brain health and disease. \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHis work is moving the needle in our ability to leverage multiple sources of complex biological data to improve understanding of neuropsychiatric disorders that have a huge impact on an individual\u2019s livelihood,\u201d said Calhoun.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA Georgia Tech doctoral student\u2019s dissertation could help physicians diagnose neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, autism, and Alzheimer\u2019s disease. The new approach leverages data science and algorithms instead of relying on traditional methods like cognitive tests and image scans.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPh.D. candidate\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/a-rahaman.github.io\/\u0022\u003EMd Abdur Rahaman\u003C\/a\u003E\u2019s dissertation studies brain data to understand how changes in brain activity shape behavior.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EComputational tools Rahaman developed for his dissertation look for informative patterns between the brain and behavior. Successful tests of his algorithms show promise to help doctors diagnose mental health disorders and design individualized treatment plans for patients.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A Georgia Tech doctoral student\u2019s dissertation could help physicians diagnose neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, autism, and Alzheimer\u2019s disease. "}],"uid":"36319","created_gmt":"2025-04-25 13:48:26","changed_gmt":"2025-05-05 13:58:06","author":"Bryant Wine","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-04-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-04-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"676932":{"id":"676932","type":"image","title":"Computational-Brain.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EInstead of relying on traditional methods like cognitive tests and image scans, this new approach leverages data science and algorithms.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1745519173","gmt_created":"2025-04-24 18:26:13","changed":"1745519173","gmt_changed":"2025-04-24 18:26:13","alt":"Instead of relying on traditional methods like cognitive tests and image scans, this new approach leverages data science and algorithms.","file":{"fid":"260783","name":"Computational-Brain.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/04\/24\/Computational-Brain.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/04\/24\/Computational-Brain.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3553157,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/04\/24\/Computational-Brain.jpeg?itok=TXN2msvN"}},"676941":{"id":"676941","type":"image","title":"Md-Abdur-Rahaman-v2.jpg","body":null,"created":"1745588923","gmt_created":"2025-04-25 13:48:43","changed":"1745588923","gmt_changed":"2025-04-25 13:48:43","alt":"Md Abdur Rahaman","file":{"fid":"260792","name":"Md-Abdur-Rahaman-v2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/04\/25\/Md-Abdur-Rahaman-v2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/04\/25\/Md-Abdur-Rahaman-v2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":112744,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/04\/25\/Md-Abdur-Rahaman-v2.jpg?itok=-nKAgxet"}},"676933":{"id":"676933","type":"image","title":"pic_me.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EPh.D. candidate\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/a-rahaman.github.io\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMd Abdur Rahaman\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u2019s dissertation studies brain data to understand how changes in brain activity shape behavior.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1745519217","gmt_created":"2025-04-24 18:26:57","changed":"1745519217","gmt_changed":"2025-04-24 18:26:57","alt":"Ph.D. candidate Md Abdur Rahaman\u2019s dissertation studies brain data to understand how changes in brain activity shape behavior. ","file":{"fid":"260784","name":"pic_me.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/04\/24\/pic_me.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/04\/24\/pic_me.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":352796,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/04\/24\/pic_me.jpg?itok=cN2myp7c"}}},"media_ids":["676932","676941","676933"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/computing-framework-could-reveal-signs-neuro-disorders-hidden-within-brain-data","title":"Computing Framework Could Reveal Signs of Neuro Disorders Hidden within Brain Data"}],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50877","name":"School of Computational Science and Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"654","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"166983","name":"School of Computational Science and Engineering"},{"id":"9153","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"187812","name":"artificial intelligence (AI)"},{"id":"192863","name":"go-ai"},{"id":"10199","name":"Daily Digest"},{"id":"181991","name":"Georgia Tech News Center"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"193656","name":"Neuro Next Initiative"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBryant Wine, Communications Officer\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:bryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}