USC Mark & Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute

What USC Mark & Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute does

The USC Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute (INI) is a non-profit academic research institute within the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine, founded in 2013 and headquartered in Stevens Hall of Neuroimaging on the USC Health Sciences Campus in Los Angeles. INI applies advanced imaging and information technologies to map brain structure and function, comprising four specialized centers: the Laboratory of Neuro Imaging (LONI), the Imaging Genetics Center (IGC), the Center for Image Acquisition (CIA), and the Center for Integrative Connectomics (CIC). The institute operates one of the world's largest neuroimaging data resources, with scans from over 50,000 subjects across 125+ studies, and serves as the operational hub of the ENIGMA Consortium, a worldwide network of 900+ scientists from 40 countries running 50+ working groups on brain disorders including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, PTSD, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's.

INI's technology stack spans ultra-high-field MRI (a 3T Siemens Magnetom Prisma and the first ACR-accredited 7T Siemens Magnetom Terra), proprietary analysis tools (ENIGMA-Shape, autoMATE, PyRPL, NiftyTorch, Connectome Evaluation Tools), data platforms (ADNI, PPMI, GAAIN, DABI, BD2K, COVID-ARC), visualization and VR applications (Schol-AR, Virtual Brain Segmenter, REINVENT), and a federally regulated clinical product (FDA 510(k)-cleared CT perfusion software). Its business model is grant-funded: revenue flows primarily through competitive NIH and federal grants (NIA, NINDS, BRAIN Initiative, NSF), foundation awards (Michael J. Fox Foundation, BrightFocus, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Milken/Baszucki), and philanthropic donations supporting endowed chairs and research projects. Data and tools are distributed free to the global research community under the LONI Research License, with commercial licensing handled separately. The institute also operates the Master of Science in Neuroimaging and Informatics (NIIN) program and the ENIGMA-U online school to train the next generation of neuroimaging scientists.

Name

USC Mark & Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute

Legal name

University of Southern California

Website

https://ini.usc.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

INI is a non-profit academic research institute at USC's Keck School of Medicine that operates four neuroimaging centers and the ENIGMA Consortium (900+ scientists, 40 countries), managing brain scan data from 50,000+ subjects and funding its operations primarily through NIH grants, foundation awards, and philanthropy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Neuroimaging and Brain Mapping Research

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Medical Imaging AI (HDAAAEAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Microscopy, Imaging & Flow Cytometry Instruments (HLAGAIAE), Cognitive & Behavioral Neurology (Dementia/Memory Disorders) (HLAKAIAH), Epilepsy & Seizure Disorders (HLAKAIAB)

Keywords

• Neuroimaging research
• Brain mapping
• Medical imaging informatics
• Neuroimaging genetics
• Academic neuroscience research

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. NIH and Government Research Grants: Primary funding source through competitive grant applications to National Institutes of Health and other federal agencies for neuroimaging research, data infrastructure, and training programs.
2. Foundation and Private Research Funding: Funding from foundations including Michael J. Fox Foundation (PPMI study), BrightFocus Foundation, and private donors for specific research initiatives.
3. Data and Resource Licensing: Non-commercial research use of atlases and data resources provided at no charge; commercial licensing available through separate agreements.
4. Philanthropic Donations: Support through giving opportunities including naming endowed chairs, professorships, scholarships, and research project funding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

INI applies innovative imaging and information technologies to the study of the brain, operating four specialized research centers (LONI, IGC, CIA, CIC) and the worldwide ENIGMA imaging genetics consortium. The institute provides advanced neuroimaging data archives and analysis software (including Schol-AR, NiftyTorch, ENIGMA-Shape, PyRPL, and autoMATE), conducts research on neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders, runs ultra-high-field 7T MRI scanning, and delivers training through the NIIN Master's program and ENIGMA-U online school for the global neuroscience community.

Product overview

The USC Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute (INI) operates as a research institute with four specialized centers (LONI, IGC, CIA, CIC) focused on mapping brain structure and function through imaging and information technologies. The institute offers research data platforms including the ENIGMA Consortium, ADNI, GAAIN, PPMI, and DABI for large-scale neuroimaging data sharing; software tools including Schol-AR (AR application for scientific publications), ENIGMA-Shape (brain morphometry analysis), PyRPL (image registration), autoMATE (tract extraction), and NiftyTorch (deep learning library); VR applications like the Virtual Brain Segmenter and REINVENT stroke rehabilitation; and educational programs including the NIIN Master's degree and ENIGMA-U online school. The institute also operates advanced MRI facilities including a 7T scanner. The portfolio spans data infrastructure, analytical software, visualization tools, and training programs serving the global neuroscience research community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Center for Image Acquisition (CIA) MRI Scanning Services
• ENIGMA Consortium Research Platform
• Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) Data Platform
• Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) Data Archive
• Data Archive for the BRAIN Initiative (DABI)
• Global Alzheimer's Association Interactive Network (GAAIN)
• COVID-ARC Data Archive
• NIIN Master of Science in Neuroimaging and Informatics Program
• ENIGMA-U Online School
• Schol-AR Augmented Reality Application
• NiftyTorch Deep Learning Library
• ENIGMA-Shape Brain Morphometry Pipeline
• PyRPL Python Registration Prototyping Library
• autoMATE Multi-Atlas Tract Extraction Pipeline
• Connectome Evaluation Tools
• Virtual Brain Segmenter (VBS)
• REINVENT VR Stroke Rehabilitation Platform
• CT Perfusion Software (KWIA)

Quantifiable outcome

• Largest neuroimaging genetics study - 306 genetic variants discovered in 50,000+ people
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability10 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• NIH BRAIN Initiative Cell Census Network (BICCN)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Five-year multisite collaboration to define and classify neural cell types in the mouse brain. Hong-Wei Dong and INI received $19 million to build on the Mouse Connectome Project by studying neuroanatomy, connectivity and transcriptomes of brain cells.
• Michael J. Fox Foundation - Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Landmark longitudinal biomarkers study following more than 1,000 research participants in 33 clinical sites worldwide. INI stores all project data, which now includes RNA sequencing data and information from more than 50,000 additional subjects across 125 different studies.
• ENIGMA ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorldwide imaging genetics consortium co-founded by INI's Paul Thompson, uniting over 900 scientists from 40 countries. The consortium conducts large-scale studies of the brain in health and disease across 50+ working groups, analyzing brain and genomic scans from thousands of research participants.
• NIH Big Data to Knowledge (BD2K) - BDDS CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBig Data for Discovery Science Center unites experts in biomedical imaging, genetics, proteomics, and computer science. BDDS provides training seminars and access to its Knowledge Discovery Interface for researchers.
• Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner15+ year longitudinal multicenter public-private partnership developing clinical, imaging, genetic and biochemical biomarkers for early detection and tracking of Alzheimer's disease. INI hosts and manages the ADNI data archive.
• Global Alzheimer's Association Interactive Network (GAAIN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRevolutionary federated data platform pooling and sharing Alzheimer's disease data from multiple institutions. GAAIN provides analysis tools and enables researchers to find data while protecting privacy of subjects and data collectors.
• Mouse Connectome ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNIH-funded project creating a connectivity atlas of the mouse brain, mapping neural networks and investigating communication between brain regions. Led by Hong-Wei Dong at CIC.
• Epilepsy Bioinformatics Study for Antiepileptogenic Therapy (EpiBioS4Rx)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational multicenter collaborative effort to understand and treat epilepsy by studying animals and patients with traumatic brain injury. INI contributes informatics and analytics expertise.
• Data Archive for the BRAIN Initiative (DABI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShared repository for invasive neurophysiology data collected by NIH BRAIN Initiative researchers. $5.38 million NIH award to Toga and Duncan for building the archive to store, organize, disseminate, analyze and visualize human invasive neurophysiology data.
• University of Southern California Schools and DepartmentscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCross-school collaborations including Keck School of Medicine, Viterbi School of Engineering, Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, and others for interdisciplinary neuroscience research.
• USC+Amazon Center on Secure and Trusted Machine LearningstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerNewly launched center where Paul Thompson co-leads research project on secure machine learning technologies, one of five funded projects focusing on privacy, security, and trustworthiness of ML.
• Center for Neuronal LongevitystrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-disciplinary team including Mark Humayun, Gianluca Lazzi, and Arthur W. Toga tackling neurodegenerative diseases of the eye and brain, building on FDA-approved retinal implant success.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Allen Institute for Brain Science: Non-profit medical research organization focused on large-scale brain mapping, atlas creation, and open neuroscience data resources, with comparable funding mix (philanthropy, government) and similar role in producing foundational datasets and tools for the global neuroscience community.
• Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences: European academic research institute operating advanced MRI and MEG imaging facilities for cognitive and clinical neuroscience, with a similar model of government-funded research, neuroimaging tool development, and large cohort studies.
• Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging: Harvard/MGH/MIT-affiliated neuroimaging center operating ultra-high-field MRI scanners, developing analysis tools, and running large-scale multi-site studies; competes with INI for NIH funding, top faculty, and consortium leadership in brain mapping.
• German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE): Publicly-funded German research organization with similar scale, federal-grant funding model, and focus on Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and other neurodegenerative diseases using advanced imaging and biomarker research.
• UK Dementia Research Institute: Public-private partnership bringing together universities to study neurodegeneration through imaging, genetics, and biomarker research; mirrors INI's consortium structure, federal/charitable funding base, and emphasis on translating imaging science to clinical impact.
• Banner Alzheimer's Institute: Non-profit research institute focused on Alzheimer's prevention trials, imaging biomarkers, and large multi-site studies; comparable disease focus and partnership-based research model, with deep overlap in the ADNI consortium network.
• Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI): Academic neuroscience research institute at McGill operating advanced imaging facilities, conducting disease-focused brain research, and hosting large multi-institutional consortia; directly comparable to INI in scope, academic setting, and integration of imaging with genetics research.
• Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging (UCL): UCL-based neuroimaging center developing widely-used analysis software (SPM, FSL), running large cohort studies, and training the global neuroimaging community; shares INI's combination of imaging tools, training programs, and disease-focused research.

Emerging players

• Human Connectome Project (WU-Minn / HCP): NIH-funded multi-site consortium producing large-scale brain connectivity datasets and analysis pipelines; partial overlap with INI's connectomics work (CIC) and shared role in shaping open neuroimaging data infrastructure.

Broad incumbents

• Siemens Healthineers (MAGNETOM Terra / 7T MRI): Manufacturer of the 7T MRI scanner INI operates and a broader portfolio of imaging equipment used across the field; relevant as the upstream infrastructure provider that INI depends on and as a broader incumbent in neuroimaging technology.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uscini

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about USC Mark & Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute