Simon Graham, PhD, P Eng

Scientist Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest

Research Focus

My position as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) physicist is jointly supported by the Rotman Research Institute and Sunnybrook & Women's College Health Sciences Centre.

Situated at the Sunnybrook research MRI facility, my individual research interests focus on enhancing fMRI technology to expand usage of the method in basic neuroscience applications as well as in potential clinical applications involving detection, diagnosis, and monitoring of neurological disease.

Current work involves developing a strategy for adaptively adjusting scan plane orientation in response to subtle, confounding patient head movements during fMRI. Such adaptive imaging should provide improved measurement reproducibility, and improved patient comfort compared to using restraints.

I currently collaborate with Drs. Grady and McIntosh to conduct sensorimotor fMRI experiments investigating memory and learning, with Dr. Levine to investigate traumatic brain injury, and with Dr. Black to investigate reorganization of the brain associated with stroke recovery.

Education

• 1988: B.Sc. Hon., Engineering Physics , Queen's University (1984-1988)
• 1995: Ph.D., Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto (1988-1995)

Academic Appointments

• 1995–1998: Postdoctoral Fellow, Dept. of Medical Biophysics
• 1998: Staff Scientist, Sunnybrook & Women's College Health Sciences Centre
• 1998: Staff Scientist, Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Hospital
• 1998: Assistant Professor, Dept. of Medical Biophysics
• 1996–1998: Instructor, Medical Technology Management Institute, Madison, Wisconsin
• 1999: Instructor, The Michener Institute, Toronto
• 2010–Present: Scientist, Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest
• 1999: Teaching, Dept. of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto (Medical Imaging (BMP 1024) - 2 lectures )
• 1998: Teaching, Dept. of Applied Science and Engineering, University of Toronto (Biomedical Imaging (BMB 595) - 5 lectures )

Distinctions and Awards

• 2010: Neurocognitive Sequelae of Primary Brain Tumours in Adults, Operating Grant, Medical Research Council of Canada , N.D. Anderson, W.P. Mason, A.R. McIntosh, S.J. Graham To be resubmitted in September 2000 04/2001 - 09/2004 ~$104,766 per year, 314,928
• 2001: Understanding Age-Related Changes in Hemispheric Communication: Relations to White Matter Alterations and Functional Imaging Measures, Operating Grant, Medical Research Council of Canada , N.J. Lobaugh, A.R. McIntosh, S.J. Graham, M.J. Bronskill To be resubmitted in September 2000 04/2001 - 09/2004 ~$100,000 per year , 3000,000
• 2001: Brain Reward System Dysfunction in Major Depressive Disorder: A f-MRI study, Operating Grant, Medical Research Council of Canada , C. Naranjo, U.E. Busto, S.J. Graham, A.R. McIntosh To be resubmitted in September 2000 04/2001 - 09/2004 ~$103,936 per year , 311,808
• 2001: Investigation of Sensorimotor Hemodynamic Response using Functional MRI , Operating Grant, Medical Research Council of Canada, S.J. Graham, S.E. Black, W.E. McIlroy, C.L. Grady, W.R. Staines To be resubmitted in September 2000 04/2001 - 09/2004 , 380,000
• 2001: fMRI in Virtual Environments , Collaborative Health Research Project Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council of Canada, K.K. Zakzanis, S.J. Graham, S.E. Black (Co-PIs) 2001 - 2004 , 257,026
• 2000: Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Virtual Environments, The Whitaker Foundation, S.J. Graham, S.E. Black, K.K. Zakzanis Operating Grant, 12/2000 - 11/2003 , 239,995

Research Projects

External

• 1999–2000: Comparison of Spiral and Echo Planar Acquisitions for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  Collaborators: S.J. Graham
  Institutions: University of Toronto

  Sponsors: Equipment Grant, Dean's Fund, Faculty of Medicine, 9,795

• 1999–2000: Robust Human Brain Mapping by Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  Collaborators: S.J. Graham

  Sponsors: Sunnybrook Trust for Medical Research, 50,000

  Operating Grant

• 1999–2004: Large Scale Neural Interactions in Human Associative Learning and Memory
  Collaborators: A.R. McIntosh, S.J. Graham, C.M. Easdon, N.J. Lobaugh

  Sponsors: Medical Research Council of Canada, 73,700/yr

  Operating Grant
  

• 2000–2005: Age-Related Changes in Cortico-Limbic Brain Networks for Memory
  Collaborators: C.L. Grady, F.I.M. Craik, A.R. McIntosh, H. Mayberg, S.J. Graham

  Sponsors: Medical Research Council of Canada, 85,338/yr

• 2000–2002: Amphetamine for Stroke Recovery: A Clinical and Functional MRI Study
  Collaborators: S.E. Black, W.E. McIlroy, S.J. Graham, N. Herrmann, J.P. Szalai, D. Gladstone, W.R. Staines

  Sponsors: Medical Research Council of Canada, 125,167

  Clinical Trial, 1st year

• 2000–2003: Amphetamine for Stroke Recovery: A Clinical and Functional MRI Study (Declined)
  Collaborators: S.E. Black, W.E. McIlroy, S.J. Graham, N. Herrmann, J.P. Szalai

  Sponsors: Heart and Stroke Foundation, 115,482/yr

• 2000–2001: Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging using Virtual Environments
  Collaborators: S.J. Graham

  Sponsors: Canada Foundation for Innovation - New Opportunities, 95,078

• 2000–2005: Understanding Cortical Reorganization Following Stroke: The Role of Somatosensory Systems in Sensorimotor Recovery
  Collaborators: R. McIlroy, S.E. Black, S.J. Graham, M.C. Verrier, W.R. Staines, D.J. Gladstone

  Sponsors: Medical Research Council of Canada, 97,215/yr

  Operating Grant
  

• 2000–2001: Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging using Virtual Environments
  Collaborators: S.J. Graham

  Sponsors: Ontario Innovation Trust - Matching Funds, 95,078

Contact

The Rotman Research Institute
Baycrest
3560 Bathurst Street, 1060
Toronto, Ontario
Canada M6A 2E1 Phone: 416-785-2500 x2017 Email: sgrahamrotman-baycrest.on.ca Fax: 416-785-2862