Huili Sun
Postdoctoral AssociateAbout
Research
Publications
2026
External validation improves generalizability, replicability and reproducibility in predictive models for neuroimaging
Rosenblatt M, Foster M, Adkinson B, Tejavibulya L, Khaitova M, Ye J, Sun H, Rodriguez R, Camp C, Chinta A, McCusker M, Han L, Fields C, Mehta S, Scheinost D. External validation improves generalizability, replicability and reproducibility in predictive models for neuroimaging. Nature Methods 2026, 1-11. PMID: 42203860, DOI: 10.1038/s41592-026-03115-9.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchFeature selection leads to divergent neurobiological interpretations of brain-based machine learning biomarkers
Adkinson B, Rosenblatt M, Sun H, Dadashkarimi J, Tejavibulya L, Horien C, Westwater M, Rodriguez R, Noble S, Scheinost D. Feature selection leads to divergent neurobiological interpretations of brain-based machine learning biomarkers. Nature Human Behaviour 2026, 1-15. PMID: 41986741, DOI: 10.1038/s41562-026-02447-y.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchNeurobiological interpretationNeurobiological basisBrain-behavior associationsBrain connectivity dataHuman neuroimagingPsychiatric phenotypesBehavioral phenotypesFunctional MRIFunctional connectivityNeuroimaging dataMental healthLarge-scale neuroimaging datasetsConnectivity dataNeuroimaging datasetsNeurobiologyMRI studiesNeuroimagingExternal validationCognitionConnectomeGeneralizabilityParticipantsHigh-resolution in utero SV2A PET imaging of the nonhuman primate brain using the NeuroEXPLORER
Mehta S, Sun H, Micali N, Holden D, Fowles K, Rossano S, Zhang J, Ma C, Han P, Lee W, Duque A, Rakic P, Groman S, Carson R, Scheinost D, Toyonaga T. High-resolution in utero SV2A PET imaging of the nonhuman primate brain using the NeuroEXPLORER. Journal Of Cerebral Blood Flow And Metabolism : Official Journal Of The International Society Of Cerebral Blood Flow And Metabolism 2026, 0271678x261429044. PMID: 41823342, PMCID: PMC12987752, DOI: 10.1177/0271678x261429044.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchDistribution volume ratioMaternal brainIn vivo markerFetal brainPET imagingSynaptic developmentPregnant rhesus macaquesRegional distribution volume ratiosMarker of synaptic densitySynaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2APET scannerNon-invasive toolNonhuman primate brainPET quantificationBrain-dedicated PET scannersNeuroExplorerRhesus macaquesSynaptic densityBiograph mCTOccipital lobeOccipital regionBrainMotion correctionPETPrimate brain
2025
Associations of Prenatal Social Support in Adolescent Mothers With Measures of Social‐Emotional Development in Their Young Children
Holland C, Sun H, Rodriguez R, Bennett M, Cheng B, Peterson B, Scheinost D, Spann M. Associations of Prenatal Social Support in Adolescent Mothers With Measures of Social‐Emotional Development in Their Young Children. Brain And Behavior 2025, 15: e71059. PMID: 41250941, PMCID: PMC12623451, DOI: 10.1002/brb3.71059.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsLanguage developmentMaternal sensitivityMaternal social supportSocial-emotional developmentSocial supportChild attachmentSocial behaviorLanguage development of infantsSocial brain networkInfant language developmentPath analysisSocial support satisfactionBrain network connectivityInfant social developmentPrenatal social supportExploratory path analysisAssociated with attachmentMaternal-infant interactionInfant languageMonths of ageBrain networksFunctional connectivityInfant factorsSupport satisfactionBrain connectivityFunctional Connectivity in the Social Perception Pathway at Birth Is Linked to Attention to Faces at Four Months
Chawarska K, Vernetti A, Sun H, Hampson M, Li C, Macari S, Powell K, Constable R, Chang J, Ment L, Scheinost D. Functional Connectivity in the Social Perception Pathway at Birth Is Linked to Attention to Faces at Four Months. Biological Psychiatry Global Open Science 2025, 5: 100597. PMID: 41127567, PMCID: PMC12538059, DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2025.100597.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchIntrinsic functional connectivityFunctional connectivityNeural markersFamily history of autismSuperior temporal sulcusAssociated with attentionStatic facial featuresHistory of autismNo sex differencesSocial pathwaysHuman Connectome ProjectFusiform gyrusFacial cuesTemporal sulcusVentral pathwayFamilial riskSex differencesPerception pathwaysAutismConnectome ProjectSocial outcomesFamily historyFacial featuresAutism biomarkersWeeks postmenstrual age
2024
Brain age prediction and deviations from normative trajectories in the neonatal connectome
Sun H, Mehta S, Khaitova M, Cheng B, Hao X, Spann M, Scheinost D. Brain age prediction and deviations from normative trajectories in the neonatal connectome. Nature Communications 2024, 15: 10251. PMID: 39592647, PMCID: PMC11599754, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-54657-5.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPostmenstrual agePerinatal periodBrain age predictionFunctional connectomeMonths of postnatal lifeMonths of lifePreterm infantsNormative trajectoryConnectome-based predictive modelingThird trimesterPerinatal exposureBrain age gapPostnatal lifeResting-state fMRIInfantsHuman Connectome ProjectNeonatal connectomeDevelopmental trajectoriesBrainBehavioral outcomesNormative dataMonthsConnectome ProjectDTI dataConnectomePower and reproducibility in the external validation of brain-phenotype predictions
Rosenblatt M, Tejavibulya L, Sun H, Camp C, Khaitova M, Adkinson B, Jiang R, Westwater M, Noble S, Scheinost D. Power and reproducibility in the external validation of brain-phenotype predictions. Nature Human Behaviour 2024, 8: 2018-2033. PMID: 39085406, DOI: 10.1038/s41562-024-01931-7.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchHuman Connectome ProjectAdolescent Brain Cognitive Development StudyConnectome ProjectCognitive Development StudyPhiladelphia Neurodevelopmental CohortHealthy Brain NetworkStructural connectivity dataMatrix ReasoningWorking memoryAnxiety/depression symptomsAttention problemsNeurodevelopmental CohortBrain networksBrain-phenotype associationsEffect sizeConnectivity dataExternal validationRelated processesValidation studySample sizeBrain ProjectDevelopment studiesTraining sample sizeGeneralizability of modelsExternal samplesEdge-centric network control on the human brain structural network
Sun H, Rosenblatt M, Dadashkarimi J, Rodriguez R, Tejavibulya L, Scheinost D. Edge-centric network control on the human brain structural network. Imaging Neuroscience 2024, 2: imag-2-00191. PMID: 40800268, PMCID: PMC12272207, DOI: 10.1162/imag_a_00191.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchHuman brain structural networksNetwork control theoryEdge controlWhole-brain networksHuman Connectome ProjectDiffusion MRI dataWhite matter connectivityConnectome ProjectBrain dynamicsExecutive functionBrain structural networksBrain network connectivityBrain connectivityFunctional connectomeState transitionsTransitionEnergy patternsTheory modelBrain energy consumptionDynamic processStructural networkStateNetwork control mechanismsCognitive statesNetwork pairs
2023
Network controllability of structural connectomes in the neonatal brain
Sun H, Jiang R, Dai W, Dufford A, Noble S, Spann M, Gu S, Scheinost D. Network controllability of structural connectomes in the neonatal brain. Nature Communications 2023, 14: 5820. PMID: 37726267, PMCID: PMC10509217, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41499-w.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCross Atlas Remapping via Optimal Transport (CAROT): Creating connectomes for different atlases when raw data is not available
Dadashkarimi J, Karbasi A, Liang Q, Rosenblatt M, Noble S, Foster M, Rodriguez R, Adkinson B, Ye J, Sun H, Camp C, Farruggia M, Tejavibulya L, Dai W, Jiang R, Pollatou A, Scheinost D. Cross Atlas Remapping via Optimal Transport (CAROT): Creating connectomes for different atlases when raw data is not available. Medical Image Analysis 2023, 88: 102864. PMID: 37352650, PMCID: PMC10526726, DOI: 10.1016/j.media.2023.102864.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsDifferent atlasesRaw data accessWeb applicationData accessOpen source dataSource codePatient privacyOptimal transportRaw dataStorage concernsLarge-scale data collection effortsOriginal counterpartsExtensive setData collection effortsProcessing effortPredictive modelNeuroimaging dataDownstream analysisPrivacyAtlasesCollection effortsComputationalTime seriesDatasetConnectome