PhD defence: Janus Rønn Lind Kobbersmed
Models of brain function and aging may provide new insights into brain diseases
Info about event
Time
Location
Jeppe Vontilius Auditorium (1252-310), Aarhus University
On Thursday 10 September 2026 at 15:30, Janus Rønn Lind Kobbersmed defends his PhD dissertation entitled "Whole-brain normative models of functional connectivity from
fMRI and electrophysiology".
How does the communication between brain areas change with age? And can deviations from healthy brain aging, when considering the brain as a whole, be used as an indicator of brain disorders? These questions are investigated in a new PhD project at Aarhus University, Health.
Studies using functional MRI (fMRI) and magneto- and electroencephalography (M/EEG) have shown that a broad range of neurological and psychiatric diseases are associated with measurable alterations in brain function. Even for diseases that originate from changes in a specific part of the brain, the effects on communication between brain regions often extend across larger networks. Furthermore, patients with the same diagnosis can have very different symptoms and disease trajectories, and many conditions are described on a spectrum rather than with clearly defined diagnostic groups. This complexity complicates the search for measurable markers that can identify and characterize brain diseases.
A possible approach to this problem is the use of normative models, "growth charts", of brain function. Just as growth charts of children's height and weight can show what is expected for a child of a given age and sex, these models describe the expected brain function of an individual. This makes it possible to identify individuals whose brain function deviates from the expected. In the project, a new approach to such models is developed for fMRI and MEG, where, unlike earlier models, the whole brain is taken into account. Based on fMRI scans from 48,000 healthy subjects, the models revealed, among other findings, measurable deviations in brain function in individuals who were diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease several years after their scan. In subjects with bipolar disorder, the analyses revealed two groups with different patterns of deviations in brain function. These findings demonstrate the potential of the models to identify and characterize deviations in brain function and may, in the long term, contribute to a more individualized characterization of brain diseases.
The summary is written by the PhD student.
The defence is public and takes place in Jeppe Vontilius Auditorium (1252-310), Aarhus University. Please see the press release for more information.
Contact
PhD student Janus Rønn Lind Kobbersmed
Mail: januslind@gmail.com
Phone: +45 50573708