This study used a spatial transcriptomics technology called MERFISH to analyze gene expression in the human cortex. They applied a method called SIMVI to identify different sources of variation and spatial effects in the data. SIMVI successfully identified cell-type associated variation and spatial patterns in the cortex. They also found outlier clusters in excitatory and inhibitory neurons, as well as endothelial and mural cells. The study showed that SIMVI can accurately capture spatial dependencies and interactions in spatial omics data, providing valuable insights into the cellular and spatial organization of the cortex.