GSoC 2025 Project #17 CBRAIN :: Project Improvements to BrainBrowser for neuroimaging visualization (175/350h)

Mentors: Natacha Beck, Bryan Caron <bryan.caron@mcgill.ca>, Pierre Rioux

Skill level: Intermediate - Advanced

Required skills: Javascript; experience with version control systems (i.e. git) and team-based development methodologies; good understanding of the Linux operating system and development in a Linux environment

Time commitment: Part time or full time (350 hours)

Forum for discussion

About: BrainBrowser is an open source JavaScript visualization library that allows for real-time manipulation and analysis of 3D imaging data within a web browser. The BrainBrowser library is lightweight and highly performant, built to provide easy-to-use, powerful, on-demand visualization of remote datasets. BrainBrowser leverages modern web technologies such as WebGL, HTML5 and Web Workers, to visualize 3D surface and volumetric neuroimaging data in any modern web browser without requiring any browser plugins. BrainBrowser's integration into the standardized web platform also allows users to consider using 3D data visualization in novel ways, such as for data distribution, data sharing and dynamic online publications. BrainBrowser is already being used in major online platforms including CBRAIN, LORIS and Brainlife, among others. More information about BrainBrowser can be found at https://brainbrowser.cbrain.mcgill.ca and GitHub - aces/brainbrowser: Web-based visualization tools for neurological data..

Aims: The objective of the project is to update the BrainBrowser visualization library in a number of key areas, increasing performance and providing additional feature richness based upon community requests. The contribution would particularly focus on updating BrainBrowser’s dependencies to include bug fixes, feature and performance updates associated with the three.js library. The project is expected to resolve known transparency issues with the BrainBrowser SurfaceViewer when removing some shapes, and would therefore be a valuable outcome for the neuroscientific research community that rely on BrainBrowser for their visualization needs.

Website: https://brainbrowser.cbrain.mcgill.ca and GitHub - aces/brainbrowser: Web-based visualization tools for neurological data.

Tech keywords: Javascript, visualization, imaging, CBRAIN

2 Likes

Hi! @arnab1896 @natacha-beck I am very much interested in contributing to the BrainBrowser project. I have about 2 years of experience as a full stack engineer at a fintech firm. I am currently lecturing undergraduates affiliated with the University of Westminster, London and the Robert Gordon University of Scotland at Informatics Institute of Technology, Sri Lanka.

I hope to follow my passion of BCI and Computational Neuroscience through a postgrad degree. I encountered the CBRAIN project during my search into fMRI datasets and got to learn more about the BrainBrowser visualiser. I believe some additions can be made to improve the user experience. I strongly believe by contributing to this project, I can positively impact many users who are using BrainBrowser, at the same time improving my understanding of BrainBrowser and CBRAIN.

Looking forward to hearing from you. Thank You!

PS: I already got (admin) access to CBRAIN to get an understanding of the project

Heyy!
My self ilyas(faisalill (fiveeyy) · GitHub) currently an undergrad.
This project overlaps with my skill set in three.js and 3d(shaders, nodes, etc…) in the web.
I have optimized a lot of 3d websites in the past. one of them being (https://upagraha.vercel.app/).
Looking forward to work this project

Hi @bryan.caron , Natasha Beck

I’m Anushka Sharma, a 2nd-year engineering student exploring GSoC 2025. I’m interested in contributing to BrainBrowser, especially around 3D visualization improvements. Excited to get started—any guidance on where to begin would be appreciated!

Best,
Anushka Sharma
anushka.care@gmail.com

Hello @bryan.caron , Natacha Beck

I’m exploring GSoC 2025 projects with your amazing organization, and I’m especially interested in Project #17: CBRAIN / BrainBrowser Improvements. To get familiar with the codebase and contribute meaningfully, I’ve opened a PR to enhance docstrings across the HNN-Core visualization module:
:link: Enhance docstrings across visualization module for improved clarity and consistency by AnuzkaSharma · Pull Request #1021 · jonescompneurolab/hnn-core · GitHub

Looking forward to learning more about BrainBrowser and contributing further! :raised_hands:

Thanks!
Anushka

Hello everyone,

For this project, we wish to inform you that any questions/inquiries from potential project mentees can be sent to cbrain-support.mni@mcgill.ca (preferred email).

If your inquiry has already been posted in this thread, we will respond to it directly here.

We are currently receiving a high number of inquiries, and will be responding as soon as we are able. Thank you for your patience!

How did you get your login details to redminelab