Dr. Annese is a computational neuroanatomist whose formal training stems from a wide background in the biological sciences and the neurosciences. He is particularly experienced in neuroanatomical and histological techniques, as well as computer-aided microscopy and morphometry by image analysis. He has designed novel techniques for the quantitative study of neurological structures with MRI and histology.

In 2005 he founded The Brain Observatory and in 2009 the laboratory was charged with the postmortem brain examination of one of the most famous medical cases in the history of neurology. The project evolved into the Digital Brain Library a novel collection of neurological and biographical data from medical patients and ordinary healthy individuals who have chosen to donate the brain to the project. The preservation and curation of their brain images and stories will help physicians and researchers understand the relationship between the brain, behavior and susceptibility to disease.