Brian Long
Scientist III
Brian Long joined the Allen Institute in November 2013 as a member of the computational neuroanatomy group. He is applying his extensive image and data analysis experience to extracting neuronal connectivity and cell morphology information from large imaging datasets. In addition to image analysis, he is also working to improve electrophysiology and bioimage data acquisition through microscope automation and development of smart imaging technology. Long’s previous work during his postdoc at the Vollum Institute at OHSU included 3D image processing and analysis for the systematic study of mouse thalamocortical connectivity, as well as setting up a single-molecule imaging microscope to study Protein Kinase A signaling in dendritic spines. Long’s Ph. D. in Physics at the University of Oregon focused on measuring particle and polymer dynamics in nanofluidics, and computational modeling of diffusion in periodic structures. Long received his B.S. in Physics from the University of Washington.
research focus
Recent developments in microscopy allow neuroscientists to generate unprecedented amounts of imaging data from the scale of the entire brain down to single molecules. As we observe and interpret the structure and function of the mammalian brain across this range of length scales, quantitative imaging data analysis is a critical bottleneck. I am interested in overcoming these challenges to address questions of long-range neuronal connectivity and cell-type identification. My previous work on thalamocortical connectivity in mouse reached the scale of the whole mouse brain, and I developed computational approaches to merge fluorescence data across many sample animals and quantify the thalamic subvolumes responsible for projections to frontal and prefrontal cortical areas. At the micron and sub-micron scale, I have developed data analysis methods to extract biologically-relevant information from single molecule trajectories. My background on the experimental side of microscopy allows me to develop analytical methods with a clear understanding of the technical and practical aspects of bioimage acquisition.
