Advancing Brain Imaging Through Synthetic Models - Science Beyond the Lab

Project SARA, funded by Xjenza Malta, is aiming to improve a critical tool for understanding debilitating brain conditions that affect millions worldwide. The goal is to create an advanced "brain phantom" that can significantly enhance the reliability and accuracy of interpreting functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) data.

fMRI is a non-invasive tool used to map and study brain activity related to cognition, as well as complex conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy, and schizophrenia. It works by detecting small changes in blood flow within the brain. However, the signals can often be noisy or unclear, which makes accurate diagnosis and research challenging.

Dr Claude Bajada (lead investigator) from the University’s Boundary of the Brain (BOB) Lab and Prof. Therese Hunter, Dr Brandon Seychell, Ms Sephora Galea from the Lab of Biochemistry and Protein Science are tackling this issue by creating a novel type of brain phantom.

Brain phantoms are artificial objects used to test and calibrate MRI scanners, effectively acting as practice or testing tools for medical imaging. While existing phantoms have limitations, SARA seeks to develop an improved version that more accurately mimics the complexity of the human brain for fMRI research purposes, ultimately paving the way for clearer, more reliable brain scans for patients.

Poking Brains: From the Lab to the Festival

To showcase this research and engage a younger audience, the BOB lab recently participated in the annual Science in the City Prefestival with a hands-on experience called "SARA and BRIAN’s Brains".

The exhibit allowed kids to get up close and personal with science by touching and exploring realistic, squishy brain models. These “jelly brains”, made of soft agar, are safe, non-toxic, and shaped using simple molds that mimic real brain structures.

Visitors were encouraged to poke, squish, and even gently dissect the jelly brains with blunt plastic knives to feel the soft, yielding texture. Next to this tactile experience, volunteers showed real MRI brain images and explained how researchers at the BOB Lab build similar artificial phantom brains to safely test MRI scanners and improve brain imaging for patients across the globe.

Acknowledgements

The project “Synthetic Anatomy for Radiological Applications – Generating a Functional MRI Phantom” (SARA) is expected to run until the end of April 2026. It is funded by Xjenza Malta through the Research Excellence Programme (grant no. REP-2024-033), on behalf of the Foundation for Science and Technology.

The image was captured by Elisa von Brockdorff during the Science in the City 2025 Pre-Festival Event, SARA and BRIAN’s Brains.

Science in the City is co-funded by the European Union’s Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions of the Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme. The Science in the City consortium is led by the University of Malta and the Malta Chamber of Scientists, in partnership with Institute for Methods Innovation, Arts Council Malta, Spazju Kreattiv, Valletta Design Cluster, and other organisations. Past Forward Performance festival is supported by the Art Council Malta's Arts Support Scheme.