TACTIX Winter Workshop 2026 Held at Amsterdam UMC!

The TACTIX Winter Workshop 2026, titled Arterial Spin Labeling (ASL) & BrainAge, took place on 26–28 January 2026 at Amsterdam UMC, location VUmc. Organised within the framework of the TACTIX Horizon Europe Twinning project, the workshop brought together researchers and practitioners from partner institutions for three days of intensive training, discussion, and exchange on advanced neuroimaging methods.

The programme combined lectures and hands-on sessions designed to build both conceptual understanding and practical skills. The first day focused on the fundamentals of ASL, including perfusion measurement, clinical and research scanning considerations, and hands-on training with the ExploreASL pipeline. Participants worked through data import, processing workflows, and data quality control, supported by interactive elements such as quizzes and group discussion.

Building on these foundations, the second day moved into more advanced topics, including advanced ASL sequences, BrainAge modelling, and multi-center data harmonization. Sessions combined methodological input with practical exercises on training and applying BrainAge models, allowing participants to engage directly with real analysis workflows and discuss challenges related to multi-site data and model robustness. And, the final day focused on blood–brain barrier (BBB) imaging, addressing both theoretical foundations and research applications of BBB-ASL.

Throughout the workshop, active participation and exchange were encouraged through hands-on exercises, Q&A sessions, and informal discussion. In addition to technical training, the programme also created space for forward-looking conversations, including brainstorming around research mobility and future collaboration within the TACTIX network.

Following the Winter Workshop sessions, TACTIX partners held a dedicated internal discussion to reflect on project progress and upcoming activities. Overall, the Winter Workshop served as a key capacity-building activity under the TACTIX project, strengthening collaboration among partners and supporting knowledge transfer in advanced computational MRI and neuroimaging research.