Imaging

With innovative medical imaging we are able to provide detailed information to enable better decision making in the clinic. Our imaging facilities, which provide core technologies such as Positron Emission Tomography (PET), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), and ultrasound, include:

• The IC Clinical Imaging Facility (ICCIF), which has the highest capacity for conducting BRC research in imaging sciences in PET and MRI;
• The Pan-London (Imperial-Kings-UCL and MRC) Imaging Facility, Imanova, which provides access to innovative radiopharmaceuticals for PET imaging and houses the Imperial College Dementia Platform (DP)UK PET-MR scanner;
• The MRC Mansfield Centre, which is where the most innovative cardiovascular work and MRI takes place.

We work in four main areas:

Biomarkers for disease diagnosis

Combined with other methods, advanced imaging techniques can help us predict disease earlier. For example, we can generate dynamic 3D representations of the human heart using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. When combined with genetic sequencing, this provides a genetic model that enables us to diagnose patients with heart disease and identify biomarkers of disease in their relatives.

Biomarkers to predict responses to treatment

With anatomical and functional imaging we can assess how a disease is progressing and how a patient is responding to treatment, paving the way to personalised medicine. Our work in combining different radiopharmaceuticals for the assessment of inflammation, tau and amyloid pathology will enable us to assess therapy response in Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and traumatic brain injury.

Non-invasive alternatives to surgery

Non-invasive therapies lead to fewer complications and require less post-procedure recovery compared to surgery. We have pioneered a technique that uses magnetic resonance guided focused ultrasound to remove tumours without surgery, and we are now investigating further areas where such techniques could be beneficial to patients.

Common imaging biomarkers to implement new treatments

Common imaging biomarkers can help guide researchers as they transform new treatment methods into clinical practice. Our development work concentrates on four main areas: respiratory disease, diabetes, cancer, and Crohn’s disease.

Imaging enables us to visualise anatomical, physiological and molecular biochemical changes non-invasively in patients and healthy people, helping us predict, monitor and treat diseases effectively, ultimately improving people’s quality of life.