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Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging

Housing state-of-the-art imaging technologies, the Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging (CABI) is one of the most advanced biomedical imaging facilities in the world. Our pioneering research provides imaging solutions to meet today's medical challenges. Using a unique combination of imaging modalities, we advance early diagnosis and enhance experimental therapies for cancer, heart disease and neurodegeneration.

About us

CABI hosts 14 state-of-the-art imaging modalities and has a long-standing record in developing and applying imaging techniques. We have published over 500 papers in journals such as Nature, Nature Photonics, Nature Medicine, and The Lancet, and translated novel biomedical imaging tools into clinical practice.

We use an integrated strategy to develop novel biomedical imaging technologies to better understand the mechanisms of disease and develop therapies. We deliver multimodal imaging programmes which investigate the molecular, functional, and structural consequences of the disease process on a range of scales.

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Collaborate with us

As a major hub for preclinical imaging, we welcome interests from non-affiliated researchers, both within and external to UCL, to collaborate with us. Availability and priority will be given to collaborative projects, although the imaging facilities can be made available purely as a resource. We are based in Bloomsbury, central London, which is ideal for cross-disciplinary work in neuroscience, cardiovascular biology, and oncology.

Work with us


Our research

Through successful fellowships, CABI has formed into six independent research groups. We work together to apply advanced imaging to enhance our understanding of neuroscience, cardiovascular biology, and oncology.

3D-reconstruction of the metastatic liver microvascular architecture (single lobe).

Cancer Imaging

We create new imaging agents and techniques to understand cancer growth, development and death, using imaging to study the processes.

AI generated graphic of a heart and the cardio system

Cardiovascular

We use advanced imaging techniques to monitor disease progression and efficacy of novel therapeutics for cardiovascular disease.

Colourful image of the brain and side of the head, at side profile

Cell therapy

Cell therapy is an exciting area which could benefit many diseases. It comprises regenerative medicine and cancer therapy.

Concept image of a brain lit with spectral light particles, in blue and white

Neuroscience

We use neuroimaging to study fundamental basic science mechanisms and their role in stroke, epilepsy, and neurodegenerative disease.

The limits of perception: Advances in biomedical imaging

Ellison Cliffe Lecture 2021 for the Royal Society of Medicine

Professor Mark Lythgoe explores the next generation of imaging technologies that make the invisible, visible. Mark shows how to guide nanoscalpels in the brain with MRI scanners, reanimate tissue with light, picture new brain pathways for drug delivery and listen to the sound of cells.

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Modalities / Facilities 

Thanks to our funders, CABI is able to provide a unique range of state-of-the-art imaging modalities. These include high-field 9.4T MRIs, photoacoustic imaging systems, high-frequency ultrasound, in vivo bioluminescence and fluorescence imaging, PET/CT, SPECT, micro-CT, confocal endoscopy, high-res episcopic microscope and a Xenon Hyperpolariser. These are listed below by current levels of deployment in our work.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

A medical operative oversees a person about to enter the inside of a large scanner

PET / SPECT / CT

Colourful image of the brain and side of the head, at side profile

X-ray Computed Tomography

Ultrasound scan on a monitor

Ultrasound

Cross section of an LS174T colorectal carcinoma xenograft

Xenon Hyperpolariser

Neuronal tracts in a healthy human brain

Photoacoustic Imaging

An organism omitting light in the ocean

Bioluminescence Imaging

Colourful light reflection of a dark camera lens

Optical Projection Tomography

His-YFP drosophila embryo imaged from gastrulation until muscle contractions in late embryogenesis - ventral view

Single Plane Illumination Microscopy

Optic cables glowing

Confocal endoscopy

 


Our people

Professor Mark Lythgoe

Prof. Mark Lythgoe (Director)
Professor of Biomedical Imaging

Matthew Grist portrait

Matthew Grist
Centre Manager

Tammy Kalber portrait

Prof. Tammy Kalber
Professor of Cell & Molecular Imaging

Professor Jack Wells

Prof. Jack Wells
Professor of Neuroimaging

Professor Daniel Stuckey

Prof. Daniel Stuckey
Professor of Cardiovascular Imaging

Ian Harrison portrait

Dr Ian Harrison
Principal Research Fellow

Dr Stephen Patrick

Dr Stephen Patrick
Lecturer (Teaching)

Dr Annalisa Bettini

Dr Annalisa Bettini
Research Fellow

Dr Mina Kim

Dr Mina Kim
Senior Research Fellow

Yichao Yu portrait

Dr Yichao Yu
Senior Research Fellow

Dr Saketh Karamched

Dr Saketh Karamched
Research Fellow

Shereen Nizari

Dr Shereen Nizari
Research Fellow

Basic silhouette in a circle, in light grey

Dr Mary Strimaite
Research Fellow

Phillip Muza

Dr Phillip Muza
Research Fellow

Charith Perera

Dr Charith Perera
Research Fellow

Additional members

PhD students
  • Sophie Karen Llewellyn
  • Zhiping Feng
  • Christina Katsiva
  • Rachel Brady
  • Yohn Taylor
  • Zekun Zhao
  • Wan Hanisah
  • Pippa Garbutt
  • Hannah Ford
  • Barbara Lechnicka
  • Rama Hassoun
  • Lawrence Nip
Alumni
  • Niall Colgan
  • Ben Duffy
  • Francesca Norris
  • Inmaculada Villar
  • Johannes Riegler
  • Manil Chouhan
  • Nicholas Powell
  • Asif Machhada
  • Holly Holmes
  • Rajiv Ramasawmy
  • Anthony Price
  • Laurence Jackson
  • Arun Niranjan
  • Chris Pope
  • Phoebe Evans
  • Dr Angela d'Esposito
  • Valerie Taylor
  • Morium Ali
  • Tim Witney
  • Raul Pereira
  • Patrick McCormick
  • Hannah Greenwood
  • John Connell
  • Thomas Roberts
  • Isabel Christie
  • May Zaw Thin
  • Alice Romiti
  • Yanan Zhu
  • Emily Lupton
  • Shahrani Janudin
  • Paul Sweeney
  • Ben Hipwell
  • James Olav Breen-Norris
  • Ana Gomez Ramirez
  • Payam Nahavandi
  • Matin Mohseni
  • Heather Fitzke
  • Yolanda Ohene
  • Daniele Tolomeo
  • Adama Saccoh
  • Chris Payne
  • Nur Hayati
  • Jasmin Rebecca Baker
  • Tom Carson
  • Ebtehal Ahmed
  • Doug Lopes
Francis Crick Institute Partners

Bernard Siow, Head MRI Facility

Peter Johnson, Crick Cancer Research Network Director

Thomas Snoeks, Head of In Vivo Imaging Operations

Interested in joining us?

For work placement opportunities, please contact Prof. Daniel Stuckey (d.stuckey@ucl.ac.uk).


Selected publications

  1. Patrick PS, Stuckey DJ, Zhu H, Kalber TL, Iftikhar H, Southern P, Bear JC, Lythgoe MF, et al (2024). Improved tumour delivery of iron oxide nanoparticles for magnetic hyperthermia therapy of melanoma via ultrasound guidance and 111In SPECT quantification. Nanoscale. 2024 Oct 31;16(42): 19715-19729.
  2. Flechas Becerra C, Barrios Silva LV, Ahmed E, Bear JC, Feng Z ... Lythgoe MF, Stuckey DJ, Patrick PS (2023). X-Ray Visible Protein Scaffolds by Bulk Iodination. Adv Sci (Weinh). 2024 Mar;11(10): e2306246.
  3. Jørgensen ACS, Hill CS ... Lythgoe M, et al. (2023). Data-driven spatio-temporal modelling of glioblastoma. R Soc Open Sci. 2023 Mar 22;10(3): 221444.
  4. Geng H, Lupton EJ ... Stuckey DJ, Stevens MM (2023). Hybrid Polypyrrole and Polydopamine Nanosheets for Precise Raman/Photoacoustic Imaging and Photothermal Therapy. Adv Healthc Mater. 2023 Oct;12(27): e2301148.
  5. Zaw Thin M, Moore C, Snoeks T, Kalber T, et al (2023). Micro-CT acquisition and image processing to track and characterize pulmonary nodules in mice. Nat Protoc. 2023 Mar;18(3): 990-1015.
  1. Hosford PS, Wells JA, Nizari S ... Lythgoe MF, Gourine AV (2022). CO2 signaling mediates neurovascular coupling in the cerebral cortex. Nat Commun. 2022 Apr 19;13(1): 2125.
  2. Baker RR, Payne C, Yu Y, Mohseni M, Connell JJ, Lin F, Harrison IF ... Stuckey DJ, Kalber TL ... Lythgoe MF (2022). Image-Guided Magnetic Thermoseed Navigation and Tumor Ablation Using a Magnetic Resonance Imaging System. Adv Sci (Weinh). 2022 Apr;9(12): e2105333.
  3. Perera C ... Lythgoe MF, Thomas DL, Wells JA (2022). Investigating changes in blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier function in a rat model of chronic hypertension using non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging. Front Mol Neurosci. 2022 Sep 2;15: 964632.
  4. Ohene Y, Harrison IF, Evans PG, Thomas DL, Lythgoe MF, Wells JA (2021). Increased blood-brain barrier permeability to water in the aging brain detected using noninvasive multi-TE ASL MRI. Magn Reson Med. 2021 Jan;85(1): 326-333.
  5. Harrison IF, Ismail O, Machhada A ... Wells JA, Lythgoe MF (2020). Impaired glymphatic function and clearance of tau in an Alzheimer's disease model. Brain. 2020 Aug 1;143(8): 2576-2593.

Funding and Partnerships

Wellcome Trust logo

Parkinson's UK logo

The Royal Society logo

Alzheimer's Society logo

MARA Government of Malaysia logo

British Heart Fundation logo

EPSRC logo
 

Grants

2016
  • £2,000,000. M Pule, K Peggs MF Lythgoe. Next generation engineered T-cell therapy for brain lymphoma. Wellcome Trust
  • £500,000 Jack Wells. Research fellowship awarded by the Alzheimers Society 
  • £350,000. MF Lythgoe, J Wells and D Thomas. Non-Invasive Imaging of Glymphatic Clearance: A Novel Strategy for the Early Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease. EPSRC
2015
  • £735,000. M.F.Lythgoe, S. Walker-Samuel, A Gourine, T Enver, J O'Keefe.  MRI system. Multimodal MRI. UCL Capital Infrastructure Award.
  • £850,000. S Walker-Samuel, M F Lythgoe. A preclinical magnetic resonance imaging system for neurology and oncology Wellcome Trust: Multi-User Equipment Award.
  • £400,000. M. Pule, K Chester, MF Lythgoe. A strategy for clinical exploration of EGFRvIII Chimeric Antigen Receptor Targeting of High Grade Glioma. CRUK Drug Discovery Committee. Biotherapeutics Drug Discovery Project Award.
  • £1,137,000, Tim Witney. Detecting tumour resistance to treatment using positron emission tomography. Wellcome Trust Sir Henry dale Fellowship. 
  • £6,000,000. M Emberton, S. Punwani, M F Lythgoe et al. MRC Infrastructure Award.  Centre for Image Guided therapy: A theranostic approach to cancer patients. MRC
     
2014
  • £6,000,000  S. Ourselin, M.F. Lythgoe, G Zhang, D.Hawkes, G. Ress et al. UCL Centre for Doctoral Training in Medical Imaging. EPSRC.
  • £980,000. T. Kalber.  Generation of Multi-Modal Imaging Mesenchymal Stem Cells.  EPSRC Senior Research Fellowship.
  • £180,000. UK Regenerative Medicine Platform - Safety Hub (MRC, EPSRC, BBSRC). T.Kalber, S.Patrick, MF Lythgoe. 
2013
  • £955,000. S. Walker-Samuel.  Modelling barriers to drug delivery and response to therapy in solid tumours using non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging.  Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellowship.
  • £8,680,000. A Comprehensive Cancer Imaging Centre II (CCIC) between Kings College London (KCL) and University College London (UCL). T. Ng, D. Hawkes M. Lythgoe, P. Blower, A. Tabor et el. CRUK and EPSRC
  • £4,300,000. UK Regenerative Medicine Platform - Safety Hub (MRC, EPSRC, BBSRC). K. Park, M. Lythgoe. P. Murray. P. Beard, M. Pule (Plus Manchester, Liverpool and Edinburgh Coapps)  MRC Reference
  • £460,000. M.F.Lythgoe.  PET/CT system. UCL Capital Infrastructure Award.
2012
  • £57,021 M.F.Lythgoe. EPSRC-CRUK Imaging Centre pump- priming equipment
  • £32,000.  M.F Lythgoe. Developmental of Optical Projection Tomography and a Light-Sheet Microscope. UCL Capital Infrastructure Award.
  • £870,000. S. Kasperov, A Gourine, M.F Lythgoe.  Dissection of the cellular mechanisms of functional MRI using targeted optogenetics.  Medical Research Council (MRC) UK.
  • £1M Eli Lilly Award: For developing new imaging for Alzheimer's disease.
  • £820,000. M.F.Lythgoe. Development of new imaging biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease. Eli Lilly.
2011
  • AstraZeneca Prize 2011: Won by Adrienne Campell.
  • SCMR Regional Scholarship Award and Early Career Award - Translational: Presented to Adrienne Campbell at the 2011 SCMR/Euro CMR Joint Scientific Sessions in Nice, France.
  • £150,000 M.F.Lythgoe, E Fisher and S.Ourselin, NC3Rs 4 year PhD studentship to investigate in vivo mouse phenotyping in Alzheimer's disease.
2010
  • Davies Medal 2010: Presented to Mark Lythgoe for a significant contribution to the field of Imaging Science by The Royal Photographic Society, at the Royal Society, September 2010.
  • £157,000 award: M.F.Lythgoe, Funding from UCL Faculty of Biomedical Science for a Research Manager in CABI.
  • £551,094 CBRC Strategic Investment Award: S.Ourselin, D.Hawkes, M.F Lythgoe. UCL and Partner Medical Imaging Computing Initiative.
  • £320,000 EPSRC grant: M.F.Lythgoe and Q. Pankhurst. Magnetic Targeting and Imaging of Stem Cells.
  • Young Author Achievement Award: Presented to Dr Panos Krytatos by the American College of Cardiology Foundation for his outstanding manuscript.
2009
  • £200,000 Wellcome Trust Society Award for the Cheltenham Science Festival: Expanding Horizons - breaking down festival boundaries. Donna Renney, Kathy Sykes, Mark Lythgoe.
  • £10M CRUK/EPSRC award: For the establishment of a Comprehensive Cancer Imaging Centre, which will enable a new molecular imaging facility (SPECT/CT and PET/CT) in CABI.
  • £157,000  M.F.Lythgoe,  Funding from UCL  Faculty of Biomedical Science for a Research Manager in CABI.
  • £734,000 MRC Capacity Building award: For the establishment of a biomedical imaging doctoral training scheme. PhD studentships will start in Oct 2009.
  • £250,000 UCL Capital Infrastructure award: For the establishment of a new molecular imaging facility in CABI.
  • £1,918,900 EPSRC grant: Q. Pankhurst, K.Chester, M.F. Lythgoe, I.Parkin, S.Nair, S.Janes, B. Pedley. Bio-functional Magnetic Nanoparticles: Novel High-Efficiency Targeting Agents for Localised Treatment of Metastatic Cancers. EPSRC (Nanotechnology Grand Challenge - Healthcare).
  • £1,649,217 EPSRC grant: S. Hart, H. Hailes, A. Tabor, M.F. Lythgoe. Nanoparticles for the Targeted Delivery of Therapeutic Agents to the Brain for the Treatment of Dementias. EPSRC (Nanotechnology Grand Challenge - Healthcare).
2008
  • £500,969: Targeted delivery and MRI tracking of magnetically labelled stem cells. BBSRC/EPSRC. M.F.Lythgoe,  Q. Pankhurst, J. Halcox, J. Martin, A. Taylor, D.G. Gadian.
  • £1,760,296: UCL as a Beacon of Public Engagement. HEFCE and RCUK. M. Worton. S. MacDonald, J. Abbott, L. Green, S. Jones, M Maslin, S. Miller, A Sella, M. Sudbury, M. F. Lythgoe.
  • £152,795: Neuroprotection by remote ischaemic preconditioning and remote ischaemic postconditioning in experimental stroke. BHF. R. MacAllister and M.F.Lythgoe.
  • £100,000: Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Anti-Leukaemia Cell Therapy. The Kay Kendall Leukaemia Fund. W.Qasim,  M.F. Lythgoe, P. Lehtolainen.
  • £194,000: High-field post-mortem Magnetic Resonance Microscopy of fetal and neonatal brain and heart. UCLH/UCL Comprehensive Biomedical Research Centre (CBRC) New Initiative Project Grant. Robertson, Taylor, Thayyil, Jacques, Sebire, Cook, Yousry, Lythgoe, Elliot.
  • £500,000 UCL Capital Infrastructure award: For the establishment of a platform for experimental imaging across UCL.

Awards

Mark Lythgoe is committed to the public engagement of science. During his tenure as Director of the Cheltenham Science Festival, it became one of the largest science festivals in the world.

  • 2020: Mark receives the Royal Society of Medicine Ellison–Cliffe Award for his contribution of fundamental science to the advancement of medicine.
  • 2015: Mark is awarded the Neuroscience Prize for Public Understanding by the British Neuroscience Association, as someone epitomising the best of public engagement.
  • 2013: Mark receives the Davies Medal from the Royal Photographic Society for a significant contribution to the field of imaging science.

Mark has also received the Alumni Achievement Award, which is given to the University of Salford’s most notable and successful graduates. For his contributions to communicating science, Mark has received the Biosciences Federation Science Communication Award and was made a Fellow of the British Science Association.


Related programmes

MSc Advanced Biomedical Imaging

This one-year MSc equips you with detailed knowledge of the imaging techniques that are shaping biomedical research and translational medicine worldwide.

Concept image of a brain lit with spectral light particles, in blue and white

Doctoral Training: Imaging In Healthcare

Our four-year Medical and Biomedical Imaging programme provides comprehensive doctoral training in imaging science and methods.

Medical imaging slides

MPhil / PhD Medicine

The Division of Medicine combines excellent facilities with world-leading scientific and clinical expertise to foster outstanding research opportunities.


The Life Scientific (2013), BBC Radio 4

Professor Mark Lythgoe discusses the parallels between mountaineering and inventing new views of the human brain and body. He reviews his unconventional journey and struggle to make a career in science. Mark also discusses collaborating with artists on sci-art projects.

 

Branding for the BBC Radio 4 show, The Life Scientific. Purple silhouettes with green shading

Man in a Suit - 1843 Magazine

Professor of Imaging, Mark Lythgoe, sees dressing in a new light for The Economist's 1843 Magazine.

Read 'Dressing Light'

Professor Mark Lythgoe looks down at green lasers passing across his clothing

Professor Mark Lythgoe stands in a dark studio as red laser lights pass through his clothing

Professor Mark Lythgoe stands in a dark studio as yellow laser lights pass through his clothing

Professor Mark Lythgoe stands in a dark studio as blue laser lights pass through his clothing

Contact us

Centre Director, Prof. Mark Lythgoe
m.lythgoe@ucl.ac.uk | 020 7679 6164

Centre Manager, Mr. Matthew Grist
m.grist@ucl.ac.uk020 7679 6797 (ext. 46797)

UCL Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging
Paul O'Gorman Building
University College London
72 Huntley Street
London, WC1E 6DD