Building an open infrastructure for molecular neuroimaging: Standards and tools from the OpenNeuroPET initiative
Year: 2026
Type: review
Abstract: Molecular neuroimaging with positron emission tomography (PET) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) enables quantification of specific molecular targets in the living brain. Despite its scientific impact, molecular neuroimaging research has historically faced challenges due to high costs, small sample sizes, laboratory-specific analysis pipelines, and limited large-scale data sharing. These factors have hindered reproducibility and the broader reuse of valuable PET datasets. The OpenNeuroPET initiative was established to address these barriers by developing standards, infrastructure, and open-source tools currently focused on PET. Through collaborations across Europe and North America, OpenNeuroPET has supported the PET extension of the Brain Imaging Data Structure (PET-BIDS), providing a standardized framework for PET datasets and metadata. Building on PET-BIDS, tools such as PET2BIDS, ezBIDS, and BIDSCoin facilitate data conversion and curation. In parallel, OpenNeuro now hosts PET-BIDS datasets for open sharing, while complementary platforms such as PublicnEUro provide controlled-access pathways designed to support compliance with the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Emerging open-source workflows further support automated, reproducible PET analysis, promoting harmonization across centers. Together, these developments mark an important step toward an open molecular neuroimaging community in which datasets, software, and workflows can be transparently shared, reused, and scaled for collaborative research.
Authors: Melanie Ganz, Martin Norgaard, Cyril Pernet, Granville J Matheson, Anthony Galassi, Eric Ceballos, Murat Bilgel, Cyrus Eierud, Gabriel Gonzalez-Escamilla, Paul Wighton, Christopher J Markiewicz, Nell Hardcastle, Joshua Buckholtz, Ross Blair, Douglas N Greve, Adam G Thomas, Russell A Poldrack, Vince Calhoun, Robert B Innis, Gitte M Knudsen
Institutions: University of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, National Institute of Mental Health, Uppsala University, Stockholm Health Care Services, McGill University, National Institute on Aging, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Georgia State University, Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science, Saarland University, Massachusetts General Hospital, Stanford University, Harvard University
Language: English
Subfield: Information Systems
Field: Computer Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,200
OpenAlex ID: W7212181562