By: Grace Huff
Leaders in neuroscience and clinical innovation gathered at the Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases this April for the 2025 MEG Translational Research Consortium (MEG-TREC) conference. The event brought together experts from across North America to share the latest advancements in magnetoencephalography (MEG) technology and its impact on neurological research and patient care.
Hosted at the Fixel Institute and Harrell Medical Education Building, MEG-TREC 2025 opened with a keynote celebrating 50 years of MEG by Dr. Andrew Papanicolaou, setting the tone for a weekend of groundbreaking discussions on clinical applications, emerging technologies, and future directions.
Dr. Abbas Babajani-Feremi, a leader in MEG connectivity and biomarker research, shared insights from his work using MEG to detect early signs of brain disease. His session sparked conversations about how MEG might soon become a standard clinical tool.
“Advances in wearable optically-pumped magnetometers (OPMs), AI-driven analytics, and improved reimbursement policies are set to transform MEG from a specialized research tool into a routine part of clinical neurology,” said Dr. Babajani. “In the next five years, expect lighter wearable systems that allow recording during natural movement, automated pipelines generating biomarkers, and broader insurance coverage positioning MEG as a diagnostic tool for epilepsy, brain tumors, prodromal dementia, and traumatic brain injury.”
Several sessions throughout the weekend explored how MEG is being integrated with EEG and imaging to identify early markers of neurological decline. According to Babajani, this type of precision mapping is becoming increasingly valuable. “The excitement lies in the fact that millisecond-resolved MEG network maps are now sensitive enough to detect the earliest, subclinical disruptions that predict neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease, years before symptoms appear,” he explained. “With multicenter studies already linking these connectivity signatures to both disease presence and therapeutic outcomes, we are on the point of establishing them as routine, actionable biomarkers.”
MEG-TREC’s collaborative nature has also led to exciting new partnerships. “This year’s MEG-TREC brought together leading voices from both academia and industry, sparking new collaborations around data sharing and advanced analytics,” Babajani said. “We’re especially excited about ongoing partnerships focused on validating MEG biomarkers for regulatory approval and clinical use.”
As MEG continues to evolve, hosting MEG-TREC at the University of Florida was an opportunity for Fixel to showcase its leadership in translational neuroscience. “Hosting MEG-TREC at the UF shows our commitment to translating neuroscience discoveries into clinical solutions,” Babajani noted. “The Fixel Institute’s focus on multidisciplinary, patient-centered care makes it the perfect home for innovation in tools like MEG, which sit at the intersection of research, technology, and impact.”
The Fixel Institute is proud to have hosted this year’s MEG-TREC and remains committed to advancing cutting-edge research that improves patient outcomes and shapes the future of brain health.