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Researcher | Research Overview

Dr. Pienaar is actively engaged with architecting novel approaches to computation in medicine – in particular image processing and AI. He leads a team within the Fetal Neonatal Neuroimaging and Developmental Science Center that has created an open source / open science platform called ChRIS that allows for advanced research and clinical computation to occur in the hybrid cloud. Dr Pienaar and team are passionate about open solutions to medicine and in actively bridging the gap between research computation and clinical practice to better inform patient care and outcomes.

Dr. Pienaar is also engaged in research endeavors examining the internal tractography of the human brain, and applying information processing theory to how the brain itself is organized.

Researcher | Research Background

Dr. Pienaar completed a Doctoral Degree in Biomedical Engineering at the Cleveland Clinic Organization where he conducted research on using Artificial Intelligence to potentially help paraplegic patients stand up again through coordinate muscle stimulation.

Currently he is the Technical Director of the FNNDSC at BCH, where he overseas the compute infrastructure of the Center, as well as leads a team developing new and novel platforms to bringing complex computation to the clinical front lines.

Researcher | Publications

  1. Publisher Correction to: Morphological Features of Language Regions in Individuals with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex. J Autism Dev Disord. 2024 Mar; 54(3):1232. View Publisher Correction to: Morphological Features of Language Regions in Individuals with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex. Abstract

  2. Morphological Features of Language Regions in Individuals with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex. J Autism Dev Disord. 2024 Aug; 54(8):3155-3175. View Morphological Features of Language Regions in Individuals with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex. Abstract

  3. Multi-channel attention-fusion neural network for brain age estimation: Accuracy, generality, and interpretation with 16,705 healthy MRIs across lifespan. Med Image Anal. 2021 08; 72:102091. View Multi-channel attention-fusion neural network for brain age estimation: Accuracy, generality, and interpretation with 16,705 healthy MRIs across lifespan. Abstract

  4. Neuropsychiatric disease classification using functional connectomics - results of the connectomics in neuroimaging transfer learning challenge. Med Image Anal. 2021 05; 70:101972. View Neuropsychiatric disease classification using functional connectomics - results of the connectomics in neuroimaging transfer learning challenge. Abstract

  5. BRAIN AGE ESTIMATION USING LSTM ON CHILDREN'S BRAIN MRI. Proc IEEE Int Symp Biomed Imaging. 2020 Apr; 2020:420-423. View BRAIN AGE ESTIMATION USING LSTM ON CHILDREN'S BRAIN MRI. Abstract

  6. Disorganized Patterns of Sulcal Position in Fetal Brains with Agenesis of Corpus Callosum. Cereb Cortex. 2018 09 01; 28(9):3192-3203. View Disorganized Patterns of Sulcal Position in Fetal Brains with Agenesis of Corpus Callosum. Abstract

  7. Reusable Client-Side JavaScript Modules for Immersive Web-Based Real-Time Collaborative Neuroimage Visualization. Front Neuroinform. 2017; 11:32. View Reusable Client-Side JavaScript Modules for Immersive Web-Based Real-Time Collaborative Neuroimage Visualization. Abstract

  8. Brain extraction in pediatric ADC maps, toward characterizing neuro-development in multi-platform and multi-institution clinical images. Neuroimage. 2015 Nov 15; 122:246-61. View Brain extraction in pediatric ADC maps, toward characterizing neuro-development in multi-platform and multi-institution clinical images. Abstract

  9. Longitudinal changes in diffusion properties in white matter pathways of children with tuberous sclerosis complex. Pediatr Neurol. 2015 Jun; 52(6):615-23. View Longitudinal changes in diffusion properties in white matter pathways of children with tuberous sclerosis complex. Abstract

  10. ChRIS--A web-based neuroimaging and informatics system for collecting, organizing, processing, visualizing and sharing of medical data. Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. 2015; 2015:206-9. View ChRIS--A web-based neuroimaging and informatics system for collecting, organizing, processing, visualizing and sharing of medical data. Abstract

  11. Quantification and discrimination of abnormal sulcal patterns in polymicrogyria. Cereb Cortex. 2013 Dec; 23(12):3007-15. View Quantification and discrimination of abnormal sulcal patterns in polymicrogyria. Abstract

  12. A quantitative method for correlating observations of decreased apparent diffusion coefficient with elevated cerebral blood perfusion in newborns presenting cerebral ischemic insults. Neuroimage. 2012 Nov 15; 63(3):1510-8. View A quantitative method for correlating observations of decreased apparent diffusion coefficient with elevated cerebral blood perfusion in newborns presenting cerebral ischemic insults. Abstract

  13. Diffusion tensor analysis of pediatric multiple sclerosis and clinically isolated syndromes. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2013 Feb; 34(2):417-23. View Diffusion tensor analysis of pediatric multiple sclerosis and clinically isolated syndromes. Abstract

  14. Regional infant brain development: an MRI-based morphometric analysis in 3 to 13 month olds. Cereb Cortex. 2013 Sep; 23(9):2100-17. View Regional infant brain development: an MRI-based morphometric analysis in 3 to 13 month olds. Abstract

  15. Intrinsic curvature: a marker of millimeter-scale tangential cortico-cortical connectivity? Int J Neural Syst. 2011 Oct; 21(5):351-66. View Intrinsic curvature: a marker of millimeter-scale tangential cortico-cortical connectivity? Abstract

  16. Quantitative comparison and analysis of sulcal patterns using sulcal graph matching: a twin study. Neuroimage. 2011 Aug 01; 57(3):1077-86. View Quantitative comparison and analysis of sulcal patterns using sulcal graph matching: a twin study. Abstract

  17. Assessment of the frequency-domain multi-distance method to evaluate the brain optical properties: Monte Carlo simulations from neonate to adult. Biomed Opt Express. 2011 Feb 11; 2(3):552-67. View Assessment of the frequency-domain multi-distance method to evaluate the brain optical properties: Monte Carlo simulations from neonate to adult. Abstract

  18. White matter maturation reshapes structural connectivity in the late developing human brain. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2010 Nov 02; 107(44):19067-72. View White matter maturation reshapes structural connectivity in the late developing human brain. Abstract

  19. Tract-based analysis of callosal, projection, and association pathways in pediatric patients with multiple sclerosis: a preliminary study. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2010 Jan; 31(1):121-8. View Tract-based analysis of callosal, projection, and association pathways in pediatric patients with multiple sclerosis: a preliminary study. Abstract

  20. A METHODOLOGY FOR ANALYZING CURVATURE IN THE DEVELOPING BRAIN FROM PRETERM TO ADULT. Int J Imaging Syst Technol. 2008 Jun 01; 18(1):42-68. View A METHODOLOGY FOR ANALYZING CURVATURE IN THE DEVELOPING BRAIN FROM PRETERM TO ADULT. Abstract

  21. Cortical surface shape analysis based on spherical wavelets. IEEE Trans Med Imaging. 2007 Apr; 26(4):582-97. View Cortical surface shape analysis based on spherical wavelets. Abstract

  22. Cortical Surface Shape Analysis Based on Spherical Wavelet Transformation. Conf Comput Vis Pattern Recognit Workshops. 2006 Jun; 2006. View Cortical Surface Shape Analysis Based on Spherical Wavelet Transformation. Abstract

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