Lab News
Two of our faculty members will be sharing their expertise with the international fNIRS community at the fNIRS 2026 Educational Workshop in Macau, contributing three mini courses covering simulation driven fNIRS and functional connectivity analysis.
The Medical Imaging Lab at the University of Birmingham is delighted to announce that Professor Hamid Dehghani and Dr Rickson Mesquita will be contributing to the educational programme at fNIRS 2026 in Macau, China.
The Educational Workshop brings together researchers from across the field of functional near infrared spectroscopy, with a programme of mini courses covering a range of topics including fNIRS simulation, diffuse optical tomography, data analysis and functional connectivity. For MI Lab, this is an exciting opportunity to share our expertise with the wider international fNIRS community.
Simulation driven fNIRS using NIRFASTERff
Professor Hamid Dehghani will co teach the mini course “Simulation Driven fNIRS using NIRFASTer: Modeling Hemodynamic Responses, Realistic Noise, and Diffuse Optical Tomography” alongside Dr Jiaming Cao.
The course will introduce participants to the use of computational simulations for understanding and modelling fNIRS measurements. Using NIRFASTERff, participants will explore how haemodynamic responses can be modelled, how realistic noise can be incorporated into simulated data and how diffuse optical tomography can be used to investigate the relationship between changes occurring within tissue and the optical signals measured at the surface.
Simulation based approaches are an important part of developing and testing fNIRS methods, allowing researchers to investigate different experimental and physiological conditions in a controlled environment.
Functional connectivity with fNIRS
Dr Rickson Mesquita will contribute to two mini courses focused on functional connectivity analysis with fNIRS.
The first course, “Functional Connectivity Analysis with fNIRS: Theory to Practice”, will introduce participants to the principles behind functional connectivity and their application to fNIRS data.
Functional connectivity refers broadly to the study of statistical relationships between signals measured from different brain regions. In fNIRS, this can be used to investigate how activity in different parts of the brain changes together, providing a way of studying interactions between brain regions rather than considering each region independently.
The course will bridge the underlying theory with practical approaches to analysing fNIRS data, giving participants an opportunity to develop their understanding of how functional connectivity can be investigated using optical neuroimaging.
Advanced topics in functional connectivity
Dr Mesquita will also co teach “Advanced Topics in Functional Connectivity with fNIRS: from Isolated to Integrated approaches”. This course is designed to build upon the material covered in the first functional connectivity course, progressing from foundational concepts and practical analysis approaches towards more advanced methods.
The session will consider how functional connectivity analysis can move beyond studying individual connections in isolation towards more integrated approaches for investigating interactions across the brain. This provides participants with an opportunity to develop a broader understanding of how fNIRS can be used to investigate functional organisation and connectivity within the brain.
The course will take place on Friday 16 October 2026 from 09:00 to 11:00 as part of the Educational Workshop.
Sharing MI Lab expertise
The participation of Professor Dehghani and Dr Mesquita highlights the breadth of research taking place within MI Lab, spanning computational modelling, diffuse optical imaging, fNIRS analysis and the study of functional brain connectivity.
Educational events such as the fNIRS 2026 workshop provide an important opportunity to exchange knowledge, introduce researchers to new approaches and encourage collaboration across the international fNIRS community.
We are proud to see Professor Dehghani and Dr Mesquita representing the University of Birmingham and MI Lab at fNIRS 2026 and look forward to their contributions to the educational programme in Macau.
