Our work
We aim to keep the UK at the forefront of clinical imaging research worldwide so that we can improve patient outcomes. CMI is a partnership between UCL and University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH), and benefits from the interface between world-leading basic science research and expert clinical groups.
Research themes
Novel MRI Techniques
The Centre for Medical Imaging has a major focus on the clinical translation of novel imaging technologies, allowing new approaches to assess microstructure, function and metabolism of cancer in-vivo.
Cancer Imaging
The Centre for Medical Imaging uses a range of MRI technologies, artificial intelligence, and advanced imaging techniques for the detection of disease and diagnosis of prostate and colorectal cancers.
Inflammation Imaging
At the Centre for Medical Imaging, we use advanced imaging techniques, notably MRI and ultrasound, to investigate inflammation. This includes bowel inflammation and rheumatology.
Medical Statistics
We are interested in diagnostic accuracy, prognostic research, and systematic reviews. We look at the design of studies and conduct systematic reviews of how reporting of these models can be improved.
Interventional Radiology
At the Centre for Medical Imaging, we are concerned with interventional oncology, vascular intervention, and image-guided intervention.
Nuclear Medicine
Nuclear Medicine at the Centre for Medical Imaging (CMI) uses Total Body PET-CT and novel radiotracers to uncover disease biology, enable earlier detection and improve treatment pathways.
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Participant Corner
Participant Corner is where we keep all the details of our ongoing studies and clinical trials.
Facilities
The UCL Centre for Medical Imaging has access to multiple state-of-the-art imaging platforms, both experimental (e.g. hyperpolarised MRI) and established (e.g. 3T MRI). Multiple platforms are dedicated to research across multiple sites.
We manage a 3T Philips Ingenia MR scanner located in the MacMillan Cancer Centre. This scanner has paid-for time available to develop new techniques and sequences for both cancer and non-cancer applications.
We also have collaborations across UCL and UCLH with imaging facilities that include:
- a Siemens mMR biograph PET-MR scanner
- Philips and Siemens 1.5T and 3T MR scanners
- a 1.5T Philips Ingenia Ambition scanner associated with the newly opened Proton Beam Therapy centre.
Booking enquiries for the Ingenia MR scanner
Please contact:
- rio@ucl.ac.uk
For MR image reconstruction, along with colleagues at the UCL Institute of Neurology, we have access to the Gyrotools ReconFrame software and vendor-specific reconstruction code. We are also co-investigators on the EPSRC-funded SyneRBI reconstruction project.
Image analysis within CMI uses a variety of tools, including OsiriX and Horos, MIM and many bespoke MATLAB packages. We work closely with colleagues in the UCL Centre for Medical Image Computing and the SME Motilent.
Latest research
MRI scans can screen men for prostate cancer
A 10-minute MRI scan could be used to screen men for prostate cancer, according to a new study involving Professor Mark Emberton.
Our experts
The UCL Centre for Medical Imaging comprises around 45 research staff, clinical radiologists, non-clinical basic scientists, and support staff, including research nurses, radiographers, and administration. Many hold senior positions within international societies and clinical consensus groups. We have two NIHR Senior Investigators, an NIHR Research Professor and two members of staff who are FMedSci. We have a dedicated Imaging Trials group and access to the UCLH NIHR Biomedical Research Centre.
NIHR Research Professor (Head of Centre)
Professor of Gastrointestinal Radiology (Head of Department)
NIHR National Speciality Lead
Professor of Medical Imaging
Professor of Diagnostic Medical Statistics
Professor of Imaging in Medicine
Honorary Associate Professor
Dr Harbir Sidhu
Honorary Radiologist
Honorary Associate Professor
Honorary Associate Professor
Dr Iztok Caglic
Honorary Associate Professor
Other contacts
- Ingrid Green | CMI Operations Manager
- Philip Ryan | Lead Contracts Manager
- Dr Richard Hesketh | NIHR Clinical Lecturer
- Dr Naomi Sakai | NIHR Clinical Lecturer
- Fiona Gong | HP Programme Manager
- Dr Rafat Chowdhury | Postdoctoral Researcher
- Dr Lorna Smith | Senior Research Radiographer
- Dr Tarek Al-Hammouri | Clinical Research Fellow
- Dr Manju Mathew | Research Histopathologist
- Dr Adam Retter | Clinical Researcher / PhD Student
- Dr Natasha Thorley | Clinical Researcher / PhD Student
- Max Bullock | PhD Student
- Chloe Dennis | Research Assistant
- Dr Shankar Kumar | Clinical PhD Student (Medical Imaging)
- Dr Maira Hameed | Consultant Radiologist | PhD Student (Medical Imaging)
- Dr Manil Chouhan | Honorary Senior Research Associate
- Dr Giorgio Brembilla | Honorary Clinical Fellow
- Dr Conrad Von Stempel | Consultant Radiologist / PhD Student (Medical Imaging)
- Dr Louis Dwyer-Hemmings | Honorary Research Fellow
- Morayo Adebakin | Research Technician
- Adam Phipps | PhD Student
- Dr Busola Adebusoye | Medical Statistician
- Tom Parry | Research Assistant / NIHR Fellow PhD Student
- Jude Holmes | Research Assistant / PhD Student
- Chris Brew-Graves | CTU Director of Operations / Programme Manager | c.brew-graves@ucl.ac.uk
- Lauren Gunnelson | Senior Clinical Trial Manager
- Mariam Habib | Senior Clinical Trial Manager
- Dr Ingrid Potyka | Senior Clinical Trial Manager
- Rosemary Clow | Clinical Trials Manager
- Nick Roberts | Clinical Trials Manager
- Balqiisa Issa | Associate Clinical Trials Manager
- Ayisato (Aisha) Akilo | Associate Clinical Trials Manager
- Dr Penny Cristinacce | Lead, MR CoreLab | p.cristinacce@ucl.ac.uk
- Dr Rafat Chowdhury | Postdoctoral Researcher
- Dr Alistair Lamb | Postdoctoral Researcher
- Julia Emily Markus | Senior Research Radiographer
- Ali Noor | Research Radiographer
- Federico Diaz De Cerio | Research Radiographer
- Elisa Pace | Research Radiographer
- Teresita Beeston | Lead, Implementation Team | teresita.beeston@nhs.net
- Katerina Soteriou | Lead Imaging Trials Practitioner
- Elizabeth Isaac | Lead Imaging Trials Practitioner
- Joey Clemente | Senior Research Practitioner
- Juel Tuazon | Senior Research Nurse
- Antonia Yeung | Senior Research Practitioner
- James Pratt | Senior Research Practitioner
- Frelyn Ocampo | Clinical Research Nurse
- Janus Bulawan | Research Support Worker
- Marium Ahmed | Research Study Support Administrator
Research Imaging Organisation
Need support with a Trial?
Our Research Imaging Organisation (RIO) specialises in designing and managing imaging trials, offering expert support and infrastructure for novel techniques or imaging-dependent outcomes.
Selected publications
- Taylor SA, Mallett S, Bhatnagar G ... Plumb AA, Pollok RC, Punwani S ... Halligan S; METRIC study investigators (2018). Diagnostic accuracy of magnetic resonance enterography and small bowel ultrasound for the extent and activity of newly diagnosed and relapsed Crohn's disease (METRIC): a multicentre trial. Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2018 Aug;3(8): 548-558.
- Taylor SA, Mallett S, Beare S ... Punwani S, Quinn L ... Halligan S; Streamline investigators (2019). Diagnostic accuracy of whole-body MRI versus standard imaging pathways for metastatic disease in newly diagnosed colorectal cancer: the prospective Streamline C trial. Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2019 Jul;4(7): 529-537.
- Singh S, Rogers H, Kanber B ... Atkinson D, Moore CM, Whitaker HC, Alexander DC, Panagiotaki E, Punwani S (2022). Avoiding Unnecessary Biopsy after Multiparametric Prostate MRI with VERDICT Analysis: The INNOVATE Study. Radiology. 2022 Dec;305(3): 623-630.
- Taylor SA, Mallett S, Ball S ... Punwani S, Quinn L ... Halligan S; Streamline investigators (2019). Diagnostic accuracy of whole-body MRI versus standard imaging pathways for metastatic disease in newly diagnosed non-small-cell lung cancer: the prospective Streamline L trial. Lancet Respir Med. 2019 Jun;7(6): 523-532.
- Halligan S, Wooldrage K, Dadswell E ... SIGGAR investigators (2013). Computed tomographic colonography versus barium enema for diagnosis of colorectal cancer or large polyps in symptomatic patients (SIGGAR): a multicentre randomised trial. Lancet. 2013 Apr 6;381(9873): 1185-93.
- Atkin W, Dadswell E, Wooldrage K ... Halligan S; SIGGAR investigators (2013). Computed tomographic colonography versus colonoscopy for investigation of patients with symptoms suggestive of colorectal cancer (SIGGAR): a multicentre randomised trial. Lancet. 2013 Apr 6;381(9873): 1194-202.
Funding and partnerships
The National Cancer Imaging Translational Accelerator (NCITA), funded by CRUK, is a UK medical imaging consortium which includes nine leading UK medical imaging institutions. NCITA provides UK clinical researchers with infrastructure support for multicentre clinical imaging studies including access to world-class clinical imaging facilities and expertise, quality assurance / quality support and repository data management service, including artificial intelligence (AI) tools and ongoing training opportunities.
The aims are to accelerate the standardisation and translation of cancer imaging biomarkers for clinical use and develop a robust imaging biomarker certification process to revolutionise the speed and accuracy of cancer diagnosis, tumour classification and patient response to treatment.
Professor Shonit Punwani is chair of the NCITA consortium. He is also the project lead on the NCITA Exemplar, which aims to progress the utility of multiparametric-MRI for adoption by the NHS through a novel multiparametric-MRI repository and the development of artificial image analysis tools. NCITA leaders work closely with the CRUK Commercial Partnerships team to ensure that new discoveries arising from NCITA’s exemplary projects and other studies supported by CRUK become available to people with cancer.
Funders
Commercial partners
Recent grants
Total amount of funding won by Professor Halligan since 2006: £3.9 million as a PI and £18.9 million as a co-applicant.
As Chief Investigator
Prognostic model of ventral hernia recurrence (2017)
- Funder NIHR RfPB
- Duration: 24 months
- Award: £145,926
Biomarkers in Crohns disease (2016)
- Funder: NIHR HTA
- Duration: 18 months
- Award: £248,773
Co-applicant
MRC CARP Award (2019)
- Funder: MRC
- Duration: 36 months
- Award: £254,813
Motility in Crohn's Disease (2016)
- Funder: NIHR EME
- Duration: 36 months
- Award: £900,437
METRIC Extension (2016)
- Funder: NIHR HTA
- Duration: 36 months
- Award: £347,882
PERFECTS (2016)
- Funder: St. Mark's Charity
- Duration: 36 months
- Award: £405,760
MROC (2015)
- Funder: NIHR HTA
- Duration: 48 months
- Award: £1,270,660
Arts Award (2015)
- Funder: Wellcome Trust
- Duration: 36 months
- Award: £39,870
Total amount of funding won by Professor Taylor since 2015: £3.6 million as a principal investigator, £1.25 million as a co-investigor and £3.8 million as a co-applicant.
Clinical Principal Investigator
Novel intestinal motility imaging to identify prodromal Parkinson disease and response to systemic therapy for synucleinopathy (2022)
- Funder: Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinsons Research
- Duration:36 months
- Award: £361,156.73
Quantitative reporting In Crohn's Disease: maximising available MRI data to better direct patient treatment, speed up treatment decisions and improve healthcare outcomes 2020-2023 (academic lead) (2020)
- Funder: Innovate UK
- Duration: 36 months
- Award: £1,574,006
Real World Evidence Driving Changes in Crohn’s Disease Management Using Quantitative Imaging Analysis (2020)
- Funder: NIHR i41
- Duration: 36 months
- Award: £1,063,499
Evaluation of Crohn's disease activity with MRI-adding value through quantitative assessment of intestinal motility (2017)
- Funder: NIHR i41
- Duration: 36 months
- Award: £685,467
Co-Clinical Investigator
MRI enterography as a predictor of disabling disease in newly diagnosed Crohn's disease (2016)
- Funder: NIHR HTA
- Duration: 60 months
- Award: £358,183
Small bowel motility quantified by cine MRI as a predictor of response to biological therapy (2016)
- Funder: NIHR EME
- Duration: 12 months
- Award: £896,292
Co-Applicant
Taking TransiCap to Market - testing of an MRI based method of assessing Gut transit. Patients ingest MRI compatible markers. An MRI is performed 3 days after and the position of the markers gives an indication of gut transit time (MAGIC3) (2024)
- Funder: NIHR EME
- Duration: 36 months
- Award: £91,940.31
Assessment of gut transit in paediatric constipation without ionizing radiation: Magnetic Resonance Imaging transit minicapsules and methods 2 (MAGIC2) (2019)
- Funder: NIHR EME
- Duration: 36 months
- Award: £1,224,841
Reclassifying constipation using MRI and high-resolution manometry (2016)
- Funder: MRC
- Duration: 48 months
- Award: £1,225,971
MROC (2015)
- Funder: NIHR HTA
- Duration: 48 months
- Award: £1,270,660
Total amount of funding won by Professor Punwani since 2015 is £10.6 million as a principal investigator and £1.25 million as a co-investigator.
Principal Investigator
Smarter identification and management of Early prostate cancer: improving Lives and End outcomes through Clinical Translation of novel magnetic resonance imaging (SELECT) (2024)
- Funder: NIHR Research Professorship
- Duration: 4 years
- Award: £2,000,000
Addressing the Base error Impeding the Development of biomarkers for Early detection (ABIDE) (2024)
- Funder: ACED/CRUK
- Duration: 36 months
- Award: £1,003,293.30
Development and validation of a novel comprehensive solution for the calibration of hyperpolarized metabolic magnetic resonance imaging (CHARM) (2024)
- Funder: UKRI
- Duration: 18 months
- Award: £1,151,440
Luminal index MRI identification of treatment critical prostate cancer (LIMIT PCa)
- Funder: CRUK
- Duration: 4 years
- Award: £613,876
Comparing bio-parametric MRI to multi-parametric MRI in the diagnosis of clinically significant prostate (PRIME) (2021)
- Funder: PCUK
- Duration: 48 months
- Award: £66,468
Comparison of diagnostic accuracy of luminal index and multi-parametric MRI for accelerated detection of significant prostate cancer (CLIMATE) (2020)
- Funder: John Black
- Duration: 60 months
- Award: £763,428.73
Novel microstructural (VERDICT and T2 mapping) and metabolic (hyperpolarised 13C-Pyruvate) MR in diagnosis, risk-stratification and treatment response assessment of prostate cancer (2018)
- Funder: CRUK
- Duration: 60 months
- Award: £2,321,544.59
Developing MRI Magnetic Susceptibility-Based Cancer Oxygenation Mapping (SBCOM) and Investigating its Clinical Potential to Measure Hypoxia in Prostrate Cancer (PCa) (2018)
- Funder: CRUK
- Duration: 36 months
- Award: £450,000
Establishment of BRC Imaging Trial Unit (2017)
- Funder: NIHR
- Duration: 60 months
- Award: £800,000
BBSRC PhD Case Studentship (2017)
- Funder: BBSRC
- Duration: 48 months
- Award: £100,000
Standardisation of Prostate Multi-parametric MRI across UCL Partners (2016)
- Funder: London Cancer
- Duration: 48 months
- Award: £120,000
Imaging Trial Support Funding (2016)
- Funder: UCLH
- Duration: 48 months
- Award: £400,000
Establishment of Hyperpolariser Probe GMP Facility (2016)
- Funder: NIHR
- Duration: 36 months
- Award: £254,000
CombIning advaNces in imagiNg with biOmarkers for improVed diagnosis of Aggressive prosTate cancer (INNOVATE) (2015)
- Funder: Prostate Cancer UK
- Duration: 48 months
- Award: £534,000
Co-Investigator
National Prostate Cancer Screening Programme (Transform) (2024)
- Funder: CRUK and John Block Foundation
- Duration: 5 years
- Award: £3,700,000
Learning MRI and histology image mappings for cancer diagnosis and prognosis (2018)
- Funder: EPSRC
- Duration: 36 months
- Award: £774,000
The exploitation of a novel image-based risk stratification tool in early prostate cancer - the Re-IMAGINE Consortium (2018)
- Funder: MRC
- Duration: 60 months
- Award: £6,300,000
Development and evaluation of machine learning methods in whole body magnetic resonance imaging with diffusion weighted imaging for staging of patients with cancer. (MAchine Learning In whole Body Oncology, MALIBO) (2015)
- Funder: NIHR EME
- Duration: 36 months
- Award: £578,000
GLINT - developing Gluco-CEST MRI (2015)
- Funder: Horizon 2020
- Duration: 60 months
- Award: €6,400,000
Principal Investigator
Imaging Biomarkers of Inflammation in Adolescents: Development and Technical Validation (2016)
- Funder: UCLH Fast Track Grant
- Duration: 12 months
- Award: £28,500
Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (2015)
- Funder: Radiology Research Trust
- Duration: 24 months
- Award: £6,000
Validation of an objective biomarker of inflammation of the sacroiliac joints in adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis to quantify treatment response (2015)
- Funder: UCLH BRC
- Duration: 18 months
- Award: £75,395
Principal Investigator
AI-powered qMRI for inflammation imaging (2023)
- Funder: UCLH BRC Grant (Healthcare Engineering & Imaging)
- Award: £49,887
AI-powered qMRI for inflammation imaging (2023)
- Funder: UCLH BRC Grant (Inflammation, Immunotherapeutics and Infection):
- Award: £25,000
Optimisation of a multiparametric quantitative MRI tool for assessment of bone and joint health in inflammatory diseases (2019)
- Funder: UCLH BRC Grant (Healthcare Engineering & Imaging)
- Award: £19,978
Optimisation of a multiparametric quantitative MRI tool for assessment of bone and joint health in inflammatory diseases (2019)
- Funder: UCLH BRC Grant (Inflammation, Immunity and Immunotherapeutics)
- Award: £58,542
Co-Investigator
NIHR Programme Grant for Applied Research - Lead for MRI Acquisition, Curation and Analysis (2023)
- Funder: NIHR
- Award: £2,519,857
Functional and microstructural imaging of renal tumours (2023)
- Funder: UCLH BRC Grant (Healthcare Engineering & Imaging)
- Award: £49,750
Quantitative perfusion imaging in peripheral arterial disease (QPiPAD) (2022)
- Funder: Royal College of Radiologists Seed Grant (awarded to my PhD student Conrad von Stempel)
- Award: £24,500
Media
Prostate cancer surgery breakthrough offers hope for erectile function
A new prostate cancer surgery technique nearly doubles the number of men who keep erectile function compared to standard surgery, the NeuroSAFE PROOF trial led by UCL and UCLH shows.
RCR: CRASH! (Clinical Radiology Academics Speaking Honestly)
Episode 2 of RCR: Crash! podcast explores radiologists pursuing PhDs, their experiences, and balancing academics with a clinical career. Feat. Dr Tim Bray.
Motilent secures additional funding for bowel care technology
UK start-up Motilent has received funding to develop technology to provide data-led insights into inflammatory bowel disease and Crohn’s disease.
Contact details
Postal address:
Centre of Medical Imaging - Division of Medicine
Faculty of Medical Sciences, University College London
Raynes Building, Ground Floor
5 University Street
London WC1E 6JF
UCL Centre for Medical Imaging
Click to email. cmi-admin@ucl.ac.uk
