Pre-clinical and Clinical Imaging
The advent of "molecular imaging", the coupling of imaging technologies with specific molecular probes designed to detect disease-specific markers, is set to revolutionise our approach to the detection and treatment of disease. Researchers in this field will be working on a range of targeted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents, based on iron and gadolinium complexes, which report, in the MR image, on specific aspects of underlying tumour biology, in particular cell death post-therapy.
In addition they will be developing a novel approach to assess tissue function that involves imaging the utilisation and subsequent metabolism of cell substrates labeled with hyperpolarized 13C labels.
They are also developing the new science of metabolomics to define the underlying molecular signatures or profiles of cancer cells.
The overall aim of the research is to develop prognostic, diagnostic and therapeutic indices as well as increase the understanding of the underlying tumour biology.
Group Leaders in this area are:
