The Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neuroimaging focuses its research on the development of molecular fMRI. This is a methodology that combines molecular imaging and functional MRI, enabling the direct monitoring of physiological processes within the brain and their observation at a molecular and cellular level with superior spatiotemporal resolution compared to other imaging techniques. Molecular fMRI is performed with the aid of exogenous substances – bioresponsive or smart contrast agents (SCAs). These are MRI probes designed to be sensitive to various ions or molecules involved in brain physiology and produce the alteration of the image contrast in response to changes in their microenvironment. We develop SCAs and utilize them in vivo, thus expanding the scope of the SCA-assisted fMRI to help understanding important physiological and pathological processes in the brain.