Welcome to INSPIRE Lab!
Imaging- and Neuro-computations for Precision Informatics Research (INSPIRE) Lab, led by Dr. Nan Xu, is anchored at the intersection of data science and brain science. We are dedicated to developing advanced computational models and data science approaches to uncover brain function, neurological disorders, and other biological processes. By leveraging multimodal functional neuroimaging data—including fMRI-BOLD, LFP/EEG, and optical imaging—from animal models, healthy individuals, and patients, we decode complex brain activities and diseases. This integrative approach aims to provide groundbreaking insights that advance both fundamental understanding and translational applications in brain science, informatics, and beyond.
Highlights
We are excited to celebrate more than one year since INSPIRE Lab launched in January 2025! Over the past year and a half, our lab has grown from its early foundation into a vibrant research group. We are grateful to our alumni, Mike DellaFera, Ali Fayyaz, Nida Shah, Artur Alsina, Archana Sathiyamoorthy, Benjamin Li, Catherine Smith, Hernan Gonzalez, Nurahmed Multezem, Olaniyi Salami, and Matthew Wang, for their contributions and wish them the very best in their next chapters. We are also delighted to welcome new members, Gabriela Poulose, Grace Min, Nghia Truong,David Simberg, Zuzana Lucy, and Noah Hill, to INSPIRE Lab. We are excited to share several recent updates: INSPIRE Lab is proud to contribute to computational brain research as part of the University of Maryland Grand Challenges Impact Award, Predictive Biology Hub for Human and Environmental Health. Congratulations to Archana, whose paper was selected for an oral presentation at the 2026 Northeast Bioengineering Conference! Congratulations to Jianan, whose paper was selected for an oral presentation at the 2026 IEEE EMBC in Toronto! We are also proud to celebrate INSPIRE Lab’s first appearance at OHBM 2026 in Bordeaux, France. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to INSPIRE Lab’s growth. We look forward to continued discovery and new milestones ahead.
Our Research
We develop advanced data science approaches to interpret data from cutting-edge imaging techniques, providing novel insights for brain science, informatics, and beyond.
Our Team
We are an interdisciplinary team of researchers passionate about innovative, rigorous, and transparent science. We warmly welcome students and trainees from diverse backgrounds, fostering mutual respect and collaboration. We are committed to fairness and inclusion, ensuring that everyone feels supported and valued.
Open Software
Explore our new repositories of data science software tools. Our code is completely open source, and we welcome contributions from the community. Join us to advance open science!