Figure with caption before abstract in two-column document - elsarticle format

Question

I'd like to add a figure in between the authors affiliations and the abstract. It should span two columns (figure* environment).

Minimal working example below. The figure ends up wrongly placed on the first page. Any ideas? Thanks a lot!

PS: elsarticle.cls can be found here.

\documentclass[final,5p,times,twocolumn,authoryear]{elsarticle}

\usepackage[font=normalfont,labelfont=bf]{caption}

\usepackage{lipsum}

\begin{document}


\begin{frontmatter}


\title{BrainPainter: A software for the visualisation of brain structures, biomarkers and associated pathological processes}

\address[mit]{Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA, MA 02139}
\address[ucl]{Centre for Medical Image Computing, University College London, Gower Street, London, United Kingdom, WC1E 6BT}

% \address[drc]{Dementia Research Centre, University College London Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom, WC1N 3AX}

\author[mit,ucl]{R\u{a}zvan V. Marinescu}
\author[ucl]{Daniel C. Alexander}
\author[mit]{Polina Golland}

\begin{figure*}
\centering
\includegraphics[height=3cm]{images/cortical-front_0.png}
\includegraphics[height=3cm]{images/cortical-back_0.png}
\includegraphics[height=3cm]{images/subcortical_0.png}
% \includegraphics[height=3cm]{images/cortical-front_0.png}
\caption{bla bla}
\end{figure*}
% \FloatBarrier

\begin{abstract}

\lipsum[3]
\end{abstract}

\end{frontmatter}




\section{Introduction}
\label{intro}

\lipsum[3-20]


\end{document}

\endinput

Answer 1

Use a nonfloating object!

\documentclass[final,5p,times,twocolumn,authoryear]{elsarticle}
\usepackage[font=normalfont,labelfont=bf]{caption}

\usepackage{lipsum}

\begin{document}


\begin{frontmatter}


\title{BrainPainter: A software for the visualisation of brain structures, biomarkers and associated pathological processes}

\address[mit]{Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA, MA 02139}
\address[ucl]{Centre for Medical Image Computing, University College London, Gower Street, London, United Kingdom, WC1E 6BT
\begin{center}
\centering
\includegraphics[height=3cm]{images/cortical-front_0.png}
\includegraphics[height=3cm]{images/cortical-back_0.png}
\includegraphics[height=3cm]{images/subcortical_0.png}
% \includegraphics[height=3cm]{images/cortical-front_0.png}
\captionof{figure}{bla bla}
\end{center}
}

\author[mit,ucl]{R\u{a}zvan V. Marinescu}
\author[ucl]{Daniel C. Alexander}
\author[mit]{Polina Golland}

\begin{abstract}