Dr. Nasser Kashou continuously targets clinically relevant research projects to tackle diseases ranging from infants to adults. Overall his research theme is utilizing and developing cutting edge technology (software and hardware) to understand and enhance brain structure and function.
Dr. Nasser Kashou firmly believes that good research needs expertise from a wide range of backgrounds. If everyone has the same mindset then innovation will be limited. It is only when we look at a problem from different perspectives that we can come up with an optimal solution.
In both his teaching and research, he is supportive of diversity. The university campus has a large population of students with disabilities and Dr. Nasser Kashou strives to make the environment safe and comfortable for all. In his research lab he trains undergraduate, graduate and medical students. Dr. Nasser Kashou’s lab uniquely consists of a very diverse range of students spanning many cultures, nationalities and STEM minorities. At one point, there were a minimum of six languages spoken in his lab. He actively participates in government funded STEM initiatives such as BIOSTAR and STREAMS which help prepare undergraduates, from minority groups, for graduate school. Research cannot be effective without proper training, mentoring and leading by example. Below are some of the achievements from the students who have come through Dr. Nasser Kashou’s labs.
In support of his open and welcoming mentoring style please take time to read written evaluations from former undergraduate and graduate students by clicking on the testimonials tab.
The image analysis lab is dedicated mainly for collecting and processing medical images. Clinical images include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), ultrasound (US), positron emission tomography (PET), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), any digital radiography. In MRI, implementation of post-processing of fMRI, resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI), and DTI are developed. This includes analysis, quantification and automation of all imaging modalities (pre-clinical and clinical) ranging from microscopy to SPECT. The goal is to take big data and optimize flow by reducing manual processes via software coding and pipleine design. The image analysis lab is a one stop shop for all image processing needs. An average of fifteen students–ranging from undergraduates to PhD–are members of the lab.
- Operating systems: Windows, Fedora, Debian, RedHat, Ubuntu and LinuxMint.
- Software: FSL, FreeSurfer, SPM8, DTK/TrackVis, MRIStudio, AnalyzeDirect, ImageJ, Fiji, VisionEgg, SuperLab, E-Prime, ITKSnap, MITK, MIPAV, ITK, VTK, FLTK, MATLAB, Python and VC++.
At the functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) Lab, brain function is studied by collecting, analyzing and processing hemodynamic signals in pediatric and adult population. Additional data that can be handled by this lab include physiological monitoring of EKG, respiration, and pulse oximetry. Tasks include big data, data mining, signal proccessing, computation, automation, machine learning and artificial intelligence.
2018
- Post-therapy fMRI in Adults with Symptomatic Convergence Insufficiency. Optometry and Vision Science.
2017
- Utilizing functional near-infrared spectroscopy for prediction of cognitive workload in noisy work environments, Neurophoton.
- Imaging of convergence insufficiency treatment effects (ICITE) pilot study: Design and methods. Vision Development & Rehabilitation.
- Brain lesions among orally-fed and gastrostomy-fed dysphagic preterm Infants: Can routine qualitative or volumetric quantitative MRI predict feeding outcomes? Front. Pediatr.
2016
- Somatic stimulation causes fronto-parietal cortical changes in neonates: an fNIRS study. Neurophotonics.
- Hand Grasping and Finger Tapping Induced Similar fNIRS Cortical Responses. Neurophotonics.
- Optode Placement Effects on fNIRS of Visual Cortex. Neurophotonics.
2015
- Oculomotor neurocircuitry, a structural connectivity study of infantile nystagmus syndrome. PLoS One.
2014
- Esophageal Reflexes Modulate Fronto-Parietal Cerebral Cortical Response in Neonates: Novel Application of Concurrent fNIRS and Provocative Esophageal Manometry. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol.
- Interpolation-based super-resolution reconstruction: effects of slice thickness, J. Med. Imag.
2013
- Evaluation of Interpolation Effects on Up-sampling and Accuracy of Cost functions Based Optimized Automatic Image Registration. International Journal of Biomedical Imaging.
2019
- Structurally Constrained Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping. ISMRM.
2017
- Imaging of Convergence Insufficiency Treatment Effects (I-CITE): an fMRI Study. Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics (SBMT), Neuroplasticity Session.
2016
- Assessing Neonatal Cortical and Motor Activation during Swallowing in the NICU. SfNIRS.
- Visual Task Learning of Familiar vs Non-Familiar Objects: An fMRI Study. 22nd Annual Meeting of the Organization for Human Brain Mapping.
- Neural Activation during Eye Movements in Convergence Insufficiency Subjects versus Normal Controls. 22nd Annual Meeting of the Organization for Human Brain Mapping.
- Somatic stimulation causes fronto-parietal cortical changes in neonates: an fNIRS study. 13th Annual World Congress of Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics.
- Hand Grasping and Finger Tapping Induced Similar Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) Cortical Responses. 13th Annual World Congress of Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics.
- A comparison of convergence- and divergence-related brain activation using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD). 46th Annual Meeting.
2015
- A Low Cost Wireless Near Infrared Spectroscopy System using Embedded Linux. 17th International Conference on Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIR 2015).
- Kinect Accuracy in Abdominal Surface Reconstruction for Robotic Surgery. BMES Annual Meeting.
- Design of a Low Cost Wireless Near Infrared Spectroscopy System using Embedded Linux. BMES Annual Meeting.
- What Does Divergence Look Like In An fMRI Study of Normal Binocular Vision Subjects? Academy.
- Segmentation and Analysis of Brain MRIs of Human Premature Infants with Dysphagia are Distinct. Digestive Disease Week (DDW).
- Volumetric Analysis of Focal Epilepsy in Children. American Clinical Neurophysiology Society (ACNS) Annual Meeting & Courses.
- Segmentation and Analysis of Brain MRIs of Human Premature Infants with Dysphagia are Distinct. Digestive Disease Week (DDW).
- Volumetric Analysis of Focal Epilepsy in Children.
- Volumetric Analysis of Hydrocephalus Patients in Pediatrics. Celebration of Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities.
- A Computer Assisted Tool for Abdominal Insufflation Measurements. Celebration of Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities.
- Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Predicting Performance Based on Visual Object Recognition Task. Celebration of Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities.
- Diffusion Tensor Imaging Segmentation and Tractography for Infantile Nystagmus Syndrome. Celebration of Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities.
- A Method for Cell Segmentation in Confocal Microscopy Images Using Matlab. Celebration of Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities.
- Arterial Spin Labelin (ASL). Celebration of Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities.
- Design of a wireless NIRS system using embedded Linux. Celebration of Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities.
- Left Ventricle Volume Reconstruction to Minimize Scanning Time: Slice Fitting Method. Celebration of Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities.
- Segmentation and Analysis of Brain MRIs of Human Premature Infants with Dysphagia are Distinct. Celebration of Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities.
2014
- Is fNIRS Ready for use in the Clinic? Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience (SfN), Neuroscience Day.
- Brain segmentation and analysis of neonates with dysphagia. Celebration of Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities.
- Is fNIRS Ready for Use in Clinical Ophthalmology? Celebration of Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities.
- Investigating Structural Correlates of Idiopathic Infantile Nystagmus Syndrome using MRI-Based Brain Volumetrics. Celebration of Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities.
- Volumetric Analysis of Hydrocephalus Patients in Pediatrics. Celebration of Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities.
- Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Convergence Eye Movements. Celebration of Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities.
- Computer Aided Diagnostic for Surgeons: Using Kinect in Laparoscopic Surgery. Celebration of Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities.
- Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Device for Imaging the Breast. Celebration of Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities.
- Development of a Computer-Aided Tool for Visualization of the Abdomen during Insufflation. Celebration of Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities.
- Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) for predicting performance based on Visual Object Recognition Task. Celebration of Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities.
- Diffusion Tensor Imaging and Segmentation for Infantile Nystagmus. Celebration of Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities.
- Evaluation of fNIRS for Assessment of the Visual and Motor Cortices in Adults. Society for functional near-infrared spectroscopy (SfNIRS).
- Effects of Somatic Stimulation on Human Neonatal Fronto-Parietal Cerebral Cortex using Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy. Society for functional near-infrared spectroscopy (SfNIRS).
- Diffusion Tensor Imaging and Segmentation for Infantile Nystagmus. BMES Annual Meeting.
2013
- Near Infrared Photon Propagation in Human Brain Based on Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Celebration of Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities.
- Near-Infrared Spectroscopy for Functional Study of Brain Activity in Infants. Celebration of Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities.
- Functional Near‐Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) for Visual Cortical Testing. Celebration of Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities.
- DTI for Quantification and Analysis in Neuroimaging Data. Celebration of Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities.
- Concepts for Designing and Engineering Left Ventricular Assistance Devices (LVADs). Celebration of Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities.
- Solar powered incubator. Competition. Houston Texas Global Health Technologies Design Competition Rice University.
2012
- Evaluating the Accuracy of Interpolation Techniques on 3D MR Images; Pre-Processing Step to Super Resolution Reconstruction, BMES Annual Meeting.
- Use of DTI for Quantification and Analysis in Neuroimaging Data. Poster Symposium.
- Use of DTI for Quantification and Analysis in Neuroimaging Data. Physiological Society Annual Meeting.
- Use of DTI for Quantification and Analysis in Neuroimaging Data. Central Research Forum.
- Volumetric Analysis of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury. Central Research Forum.
| Thesis Topic | Defense | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Evaluation of Interpolation and Registration Techniques in 3D MR Images for Orthogonal Plane Super Resolution Reconstruction | AU 2012 | ||
| Evaluation of Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) for Assessment of the Visual and Motor Cortices in Adults | SP 2014 | ||
| Segmentation and Analysis of MRIs of Infants with Dysphagia | AU 2014 | ||
| Left Ventricle Volume Reconstruction to Minimize Scanning Time: Slice Fitting Method | SP 2015 | ||
| Measuring brain activation through functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during visual task learning | AU 2015 | ||
| Neural correlates of convergence eye movements in convergence insufficient (CI) patients vs binocularly normal controls (BNC): An fMRI study | AU 2015 | ||
| Design of a low-cost wireless NIRS system with embedded Linux and a smartphone interface | AU 2015 | ||
| 3D Visualization and Interactive Image Manipulation for Surgical Planning in Robot-assisted Surgery |
SP2018 | ||
| Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping (QSM) Reconstruction from MRI Phase Data |
AU2020 |