CBRAIN 2008-2016: The evolution of a collaborative platform for neuroinformatics

Abstract

The Canadian Brain Imaging Research Platform (CBRAIN) is a web-based collaborative research platform developed in response to the challenges raised by data-heavy, compute-intensive neuroimaging research. CBRAIN offers transparent access to remote data sources, distributed computing sites, and an array of processing and visualization tools within a controlled, secure environment. Its web interface is accessible through any modern browser and uses graphical interface idioms to reduce the technical expertise required to perform large-scale computational analyses. CBRAIN's flexible meta-scheduling has allowed the incorporation of a wide range of heterogeneous computing sites. CBRAIN is developed at the McGill Center for Integrative Neuroscience (MCIN) under the direction of Dr. Alan Evans (more at http://mcin-cnim.ca).

Biographies

Pierre Rioux, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University

Pierre Rioux is a senior software developer with the CBRAIN team since 2008. Bioinformatician with 15 years of experience designing and developing software for rich web applications, genomics, molecular biology and neuroscience applications. This includes high-throughput analysis, grid and cluster high performance computing, distributed systems, molecular evolution research and cross-species comparative studies.

Marc-Etienne Rousseau, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University

Since 2008, Marc Rousseau is the technical manager for the CBRAIN Platform Team hosted in the Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University. Before joining Dr. Evans’ group, M. Rousseau was the Coordinator of Scientific IT at the McGill Life Sciences Complex, after a few crucial formative years within the West Coast Biotechnology Industry and the IBM Pacific Development Center.  His dual formation in both Life Sciences & Computer Science, allow him to renew the often fragile links between the two scientific communities.