SfNIRS Newsletter March 2025

fNIRS 2026 – Macau

Mark your calendars for the 2026 Biennial Conference of our Society! The event will be held at the University of Macau (Macau SAR, China) on October 16-18, preceded by educational workshops on October 15-16.
The Organizing Committee is led by Prof. Zhen Yuan (University of Macau) and Prof. Haijing Niu (Beijing Normal University), the Educational Chair is Prof. Rihui Li (University of Macau), and the Conference Program Chair will be Prof. Sabrina Brigadoi (University of Padova, Italy).
More details will be presented in the May edition of the Newsletter.

See you there!

Call for Proposals: Host fNIRS 2028!

We are inviting proposals to host fNIRS 2028, preferably in North or South America!
What we need:

• A university conference space that can accommodate ~600 attendees
• A dedicated local team committed to making the conference a success

If you and your institution are interested in hosting this exciting event, please email us for more details.

fNIRS in the Social Media

We have launched the official LinkedIn page of the Society!
Please follow us to keep up with all the activities, announcements, job openings, events and all things fNIRS/DOT/DCS and other optical brain imaging techniques. 

Special Report – fNIRS 2024

The fNIRS 2024 conference has come to a successful close, marking yet another milestone in the field of functional near-infrared spectroscopy. This year’s event brought together a vibrant community of 467 attendees, including 426 on-site participants and 41 virtual attendees. The conference saw a remarkable 15% increase in contributed abstracts compared to 2022, underscoring the growing interest and advancements in fNIRS research.
One of the highlights of the conference was the inspiring Presidential Lecture delivered by Professor Emeritus David Delpy. In addition to this distinguished address, the program featured contributions from leading researchers across various disciplines. Attendees engaged in a diverse range of activities, including seven scientific sessions, 21 minicourses, and numerous poster presentations, both on-site and online. These sessions provided a platform for stimulating discussions and knowledge exchange, reinforcing the collaborative spirit of the fNIRS community.

The conference statistics reflect the event’s widespread reach and inclusivity. A total of 391 contributed abstracts were submitted from 27 different countries, demonstrating the increasing global impact of fNIRS research. Furthermore, efforts to ensure gender balance among invited speakers were evident, contributing to a more diverse and representative scientific dialogue.
This remarkable event would not have been possible without the incredible support of sponsors, exhibitors, and all attendees who contributed to making fNIRS 2024 in Birmingham a resounding success. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone involved and invite you to relive the highlights by visiting the official fNIRS 2024 Highlights page.
We eagerly look forward to the next meeting. See you at fNIRS 2026!

Upcoming Workshops and Courses

fNIRS Summer School 2025
We are bringing this year’s fNIRS Summer School to Washington University in St. Louis in collaboration with The Society for functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (SfNIRS). This event is a fantastic opportunity for fNIRS researchers at all career stages to connect and learn.

The program includesfoundational and applicational fNIRS/HD-DOT lectures, practical data processing and hands-on sessions with NeuroDOT. Additionally, the event will feature an industry session, poster sessions, providing opportunities for networking and highlighting early career research. We are also highlighting high-density diffuse optical tomography systems from Dr. Adam Eggebrecht and Dr. Joe Culver‘s labs through lab tours.

Where: Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
When: July 14th – July 16th, 2025
Don’t miss out! For more details, visit: https://lnkd.in/gcxHm8y7
Interested in updates? Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/gP9pVDgv
Connect with the organization committee: Joe Culver, Adam Eggebrecht, Sung Min Park, Morgan Fogarty, and Wiete Fehner.
 

NeuroDOT Workshop in Cambridge, UK

We are putting together a NeuroDOT workshop May 15-16 with a specific focus on data collection, quality control, system-anatomy registration and modeling, and image reconstruction with a focus on Gowerlabs LUMO systems. Please reach out to Borja Blanco, Sam Beaton, or Adam Eggebrecht for more information. We will be posting additional information soon!

Where: The University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
When: May 15th – May 16th, 2025
 

NeuroDOT Workshop in Padova, Italy

A neuroDOT workshop will be held at the University of Padova, within the Summer School “The ARCA initiative: Unlocking Psychological Expertise for Academic and Business Success”. The Summer School aims to provide advanced technical-methodological skills to students working in the psychological and related research fields, enabling them to network and acquire innovative research tools in the field. Students will gain knowledge on experimental design, behavioural and neural data collection and analysis, statistical evaluation, and scientific reporting. The school is organized in 4 independent modules (weeks); students can apply independently to each week based on their interests. The neuroDOT workshop will be held during the second week of the school.

Here is the “macro program” of the summer school:

• Week 1 (June 30th – July 4th): Introduction to programming (Giacomo Loreggia) and PsychoPy (Open Science Tools Ltd – Rebecca Hirst)
• Week 2 (July 7-11):  Electroencephalography (EEG) with EEGLAB (TBD) and ICA analysis (Marco Congedo) and functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) with NeuroDOT (Adam Eggebrecht) for Psychology and Neuroscience
• Week 3 (July 14-18): Pupillometry (Giulia Calignano) and Labvanced: Online Eye-Tracking (Scicovery GmbH – Caspar Goeke)
• Week 4 (July 21-25): Statistical Analysis using R (Angela Andreella) and Reporting using Quarto (Ottavia Epifania)

Where: University of Padova, Italy
When: June 30th – July 25th, 2025 
Deadline for applications: March 20th 2025 (https://pica.cineca.it/unipd/summerschool2025/)
Don’t miss out! For more details, visit: https://arcasummerschool.dpss.psy.unipd.it/
Connect with the organization committee: Sabrina Brigadoi or arca.dpss@unipd.it.

fNIRS Toolbox Workshop in Pittsburgh, PA

Summer workshop on functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) brain imaging.    This three-day workshop will cover the theory and implementation of data analysis and statistical methods for fNIRS brain imaging.  Material will be presented in both lectures and through hands-on examples using the fNIRS Brain AnalyzIR toolbox developed by Dr Ted Huppert’s lab.  Topics will include data cleaning and preprocessing, first and second-level statistical models, functional connectivity and hyperscanning, probe registration and image reconstruction, and multimodal methods.  Additional information can be found on our website (https://huppertlab.net/)

Where: The University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA
When: Aug 6th – Aug 8th, 2025

Upcoming Conferences

3rd Neuroscience of the Everyday World (NEW) Conference

We’re excited to announce that the third Neuroscience of the Everyday World Conference will take place at Boston University on July 28-29, 2025! This unique event brings together experts and students in computer science, biomedical engineering, cognitive science, neurology, and clinical neuroscience to explore cutting-edge research on human brain function and real-world neural measurement.

Key Highlights:

Location: Boston University, Computing & Data Science Building
Dates: July 28-29, 2025
Keynote Speakers: Maryam Shanechi (USC) & Hugo Spiers (UCL)
Symposium Speakers: Leading researchers from institutions worldwide
Poster Sessions: Share your research & engage with experts
Trainee Travel Awards: Funding support for young researchers

Registration & Abstract Submission Opening Soon! Stay tuned for more details.

Join us in advancing the frontiers of neuroscience in real-world settings! Tag your colleagues, spread the word, and mark your calendars.

For more details, please visit https://lnkd.in/gW84qqPs
 

fNIRS UK 2025 Conference

An interdisciplinary two days symposium in Cambridge with a wide-range of workshops, tutorials, keynotes and latest research posters & presentations sessions for the community of researchers and practitioners in functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) based in the UK and neighbouring regions.

Key Highlights:

Location: Magdalene College, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England

Dates: September 18-19, 2025

More information soon!

For more details, please visit: https://fnirsuk.gitlab.io/
 

fNIRS Italy 2025 Conference

The conference aims to promote a network of collaboration with mutually beneficial exchanges for learners and users of fNIRS. This 2-day event will consist of invited lectures with internationally recognized speakers, oral and poster sessions to encourage dialogue and experiences by experts and newcomers alike. A special session will be dedicated to research activities presented by young investigators.

Key Highlights:

Location: School of Medicine, University of Genoa, Italy
Dates: July 16-17, 2025

More information soon!

For more details, send an email to: fnirsitalia.dpss@unipd.it
 

Other conferences: 

Cognitive Neuroscience Society
March 29 – April 1, 2025
Boston, USA
https://www.cogneurosociety.org/annual-meeting/

Optics and Photonics International Congress
April 21-25, 2025
Yokohama, Japan
https://opicon.jp/

International BCI Meeting
June 2-5, 2025
Banff, Canada
https://bcisociety.org/bci-meeting/

OHBM 
June 24-28, 2025 
Brisbane, Australia
https://www.humanbrainmapping.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=4229

European Conferences on Biomedical Optics
22 – 26 June 2025
Munich, Germany
https://www.optica.org/events/topical_meetings/european_conferences_biomedical_optics/

Optica Biophotonics Congress: Optics in the Life Sciences (Optics and the Brain)
21 – 24 April 2025
Coronado, USA
https://www.optica.org/events/congress/biophotonics_congress/

Call for Papers

fNIRS for Global Health – Special Issue in Neurophotonics (SPIE) – Open for Submissions until April 1st

This special issue will showcase the latest advancements in fNIRS for global health, highlighting its impact on brain health research across diverse populations and settings. We invite submissions on:

• Innovations in fNIRS technology and instrumentation
• Applications of fNIRS in monitoring brain health in diverse populations
• fNIRS in low-resource and remote settings
• Integration of fNIRS with other neuroimaging modalities
• Studies on cognitive development, mental health, and neurological disorders
• Advances in data analysis and interpretation for fNIRS data
• Case studies and field applications of fNIRS in global health initiatives
• Development of new fNIRS-based diagnostic tools and interventions

This special issue supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #3: Good Health and Well-Being.

Submission Details:
Deadline: April 1st, 2025
Submission Link: https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/journals/neurophotonics/call-for-papers#fNIRSforGlobalHealth

Special Issue Editors:
Meryem A. Yücel, PhD – Boston University, USA
Alexander von Lühmann, PhD – Berlin Technical University, Germany
Mamadou Diop, PhD – Western University, Canada
Anna Blasi Ribera, PhD – University College London, UK

We look forward to your contributions to this important issue.

Meryem A. Yücel on behalf of editors.
 

Imaging Neuroscience Special Issue on Optical & Acoustic Neuroimaging – Open for Submissions until June 1st, 2025 

This special issue will highlight cutting-edge research that advances our understanding of brain function, structure, and behavior through optical and acoustic neuroimaging. We welcome contributions that push the boundaries of neuroimaging methods, from fundamental technology development to applications in humans and other species.Topics of Interest Include:

• Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS – CW, FD, TD)
• Diffuse optical tomography (DOT) and diffuse correlation spectroscopy
• Functional ultrasound and ultrasound localization microscopy
• Optical intrinsic signals and photoacoustic tomography (PAT)
• Neurophysiological and neuromodulation applications
• Macro-, meso-, and microscopic imaging with systems-level insights
• Clinical and translational applications, including animal models
• Advances in hardware and analysis methods

Submissions emphasizing open data and code sharing are strongly encouraged.

Submission Details:

Deadline: June 1, 2025
Target Acceptance: July 2025
Website: https://direct.mit.edu/imag/pages/special_issue_call_for_papers_on_optical_and_acoustic_neuroimagingGuest Editors:

Adam Eggebrecht (Managing Guest Editor), Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
Meryem A. Yücel, Boston University
Paola Pinti, Birkbeck University of London
Rebecca Re, Politecnico di Milano
Charlie Demené, ESPCI Paris & Physics for Medicine Paris
Monica Rosenberg (Executive SI Editor), The University of Chicago

We look forward to your contributions to this exciting issue.

Meryem A. Yücel on behalf of editors.

Research Tools

First Issue of the NeuroDOT Newsletter!

We have just released the first edition of the NeuroDOT newsletter. We will be sending a newsletter along with each new release of NeuroDOT approximately every 6 months. The newsletter contains release notes, highlighted features from the development team, and opportunities to contribute to NeuroDOT and attend workshops. A higher resolution version of this newsletter can be found on NITRC (https://www.nitrc.org/frs/download.php/18331/NeuroDOT_Newsletter_250207.pdf) and at https://oxi.wustl.edu/newsletters/
As always, if you have any questions or feedback about NeuroDOT, don’t hesitate to e-mail the development team, at neurodot-support@wustl.edu. Additionally, if you and your team are interested in a NeuroDOT workshop to be hosted at your site, or to have a NeuroDOT workshop focus on a system or topic of your interest, please let us know! We are happy to travel to you and are working to connect with more fNIRS/DOT users worldwide.
 

Cedalion workshop in Cambridge, UK

A massive thank you to Dr Eike Middell and Dr Alex von Lühmann for organising and leading a two-day training event for LUMO users. Hosted at the Old Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, and streamed online, the event provided an in-depth introduction to data analysis in Cedalion and the foundational steps for setting up pathways for advanced statistical processing of HD-DOT images.

With 16 attendees joining live, the event fostered valuable discussions and hands-on learning opportunities. If you were unable to attend and would like access to the recording, please contact Dr Addison Billing at ab2712@cam.ac.uk

Featured Research

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy: A novel tool for detecting consciousness after acute severe brain injury
https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2402723121

NIRS-BIDS: Brain Imaging Data Structure Extended to Near-Infrared Spectroscopy
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41597-024-04136-9

Progress Towards Decoding Visual Imagery via fNIRS
https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.07662

A Novel Portable and Wearable Broadband Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Device for In-Vivo Oxygenation and Metabolism Measurements
https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.04515

Combining Wearable fNIRS and Immersive Virtual Reality to Study Social Brain Function in Development
https://academic.oup.com/oons/article/doi/10.1093/oons/kvad012/7475300

DEN Lab at University of IOWA creates fNIRS website (manual) for beginners
https://sites.google.com/view/fnirsresourcemanual/home

fNIRS in the News

Researchers from Beijing Normal University use fNIRS to measure the LOC region.
https://neurosciencenews.com/fnirs-brain-activity-25434/

A Decade of Progress: How fNIRS is Transforming Clinical Brain Imaging. fNIRS has seen growing adoption in clinical applications across neurology, psychiatry, pediatric medicine, and sports science.
https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/a-decade-of-progress-how-fnirs-is-transforming-clinical-brain-imaging

Scientists have cutting edge technology to scan kids’ brains. But it wasn’t built for all heads
https://www.gpb.org/news/2024/06/27/scientists-have-cutting-edge-technology-scan-kids-brains-it-wasnt-built-for-all

DEI Committee

The SfNIRS DEI committee continues to meet on a regular basis to discuss our upcoming agenda to provide educational opportunities for young investigators at our educational sessions and meetings.  We have created subcommittees to focus on:

 1) Translation of lectures and presentations from our educational sessions into Spanish and Chinese.  Other languages will also be considered as we establish the methods for acquisition and dissemination.  The committee is open to suggestions from the membership at large for suggestions;

2) Providing travel awards for young investigators to attend the summer session 2025 at Washington University and also to the biennial meeting in Macau 2026.

The DEI committee has also welcomed new members after fNIRS 2024 who have enthusiastically provided new ideas and action points. Watch this space for updates! 

The Big Picture. The committee is mindful of the recent actions by the US government that are critical of DEI programs. We are united in our commitment to strengthen our scientific community with the highest talent regardless of origin and privilege.  The committee is also open to hearing opinions and comments on this topic from the membership at large.

Joy Hirsch and Turgut Durduran, co-chairs of the SfNIRS Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee

Communications Committee

After pausing for a bit to observe the ever-changing landscape of communication platforms, the Communications Committee has reinvigorated its activities and added new members. 

Our full roster is: Adam Eggebrecht, Felipe Orihuela-Espina, Felix Scholkmann, Frank Hu, Franziska Klein, Guy Perkins, Heather Bortfeld, Ippeita Dan, Jeffery Dunn, Louisa Gossé, Luca Pollonini, Meryem Yücel, Rens Burghardt, Rob Cooper, Sabrina Brigadoi, Samuel Montero Hernandez, Sergio Novi, and Yumie Ono.

Aside from this newsletter and growing our LinkedIn community, we are also looking at expanding our social media presence, so look out for newer initiatives soon!

Heather Bortfeld and Luca Pollonini, co-chairs of the SfNIRS Communications Committee

Education Committee

Discord

SfNIRS now has a Discord server for the fNIRS community to engage, ask questions, and share information with fNIRS researchers. Join us at https://discord.gg/P8w69AFC9x. Thanks to Nick Ross, Johann Benerradi, Morgan Fogarty, and Guy Perkins for putting it together!
Top tip: if you have no experience with Discord, check the FAQ channel once you sign up!

Research Webinars. SfNIRS Education Committee will soon be releasing a schedule of thematic webinars for the 2025 years. Reach out to Paola Pinti (p.pinti@bbk.ac.uk) or Rickson Mesquita (r.c.mesquita@bham.ac.uk) if you’d like to propose any specific topic relevant to you.

Paola Pinti and Rickson Mesquita, co-chairs of the SfNIRS Education Committee

Standardization Committee

The Standardization Committee of the Society for functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy is pleased to announce the publication of NIRS-BIDS: Brain Imaging Data Structure Extended to Near-Infrared Spectroscopy in Scientific Data. This extension of BIDS provides a standardized framework for organizing and sharing fNIRS datasets, enhancing reproducibility and collaboration. Read more here.

Another important update is the upcoming publication of IEC 80601-2-71, which defines safety and performance requirements for fNIRS equipment. This new standard, currently in its final production steps, will replace IEC 80601-2-71:2015, ensuring enhanced reliability for research and clinical applications.

Meryem A. Yücel and Alexander von Lühmann, co-chairs of the SfNIRS Standardization Committee