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+layout: news
+title: Dr. Fahad Almuqhim Successfully Defends PhD Dissertation on Self-Supervised Learning for Multisite Neuroimaging.
+tags: [defense]
+image:
+excerpt: Dr. Fahad Almuqhim successfully defended his PhD at Florida International University, presenting NeuroCLR, a self-supervised framework for robust multisite neuroimaging analysis.
+---
+
+The lab proudly congratulates Dr. Fahad Almuqhim on the successful defense of his PhD dissertation titled:
+
+“Self-Supervised Representation Learning from Multi-Cohort Neuroimaging for Neurodevelopmental and Neurodegenerative Disorders.”
+
+Under the supervision of Prof. Fahad Saeed at Florida International University, and  Dr. Almuqhim developed NeuroCLR, a novel region-wise self-supervised contrastive learning framework designed to improve generalization in multisite resting-state fMRI studies.
+
+His research addressed one of the most pressing challenges in neuroimaging AI:
+**Are models learning disease-related brain signatures or site-specific scanner effects?**
+
+By leveraging large-scale multisite datasets including ABIDE and ADNI, NeuroCLR demonstrated robust, site-invariant representations that improved downstream classification performance across independent cohorts.
+
+Dr. Almuqhim’s dissertation committee included:
+
+- Dr. Angela Laird
+- Dr. Leonardo Bobadilla
+- Dr. Ananda Mondal
+- Dr. Kaoutar Ben Ahmed
+
+The lab also recognizes the support and collaboration of his fellow lab members, whose contributions and discussions played an important role throughout this work.
+
+Dr. Almuqhim’s work contributes to:
+- Multisite generalizable representation learning
+- Site-robust neuroimaging biomarkers
+- Self-supervised learning applications in brain disorders
+
+
+We congratulate Dr. Almuqhim on this major milestone and look forward to his continued impact in AI-driven neuroimaging research. He has recently joined the faculty at Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University in Saudi Arabia.
+
+![Almuqhim's Committee Members](/assets/images/news/almuqhim-defense.jpg)
+
+