UCL launches Centre for Medical Image Computing

The centre brings together a substantial group of physicists, computer scientists, mathematicians and engineers working on medical image analysis and image processing. Their work encompasses the full range of activity in image formation, image analysis and image-guided interventions.

The group will build on their excellent links with clinical and medical researchers in UCL, the UK and around the world.

Under the leadership of Professor Hawkes and Professor Hill, the group has so far pioneered novel, automated and highly accurate methods for combining and comparing image-derived information, with application in the neurosciences, cardiovascular sciences, oncology and orthopaedics. Their advances in image registration technologies, image-guided interventions, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, structural neuroimaging and optical tomography are widely recognised as world leading.

Professor Hawkes said: "We are now integrating models of physiological function - for example, electrophysiology of the heart - statistical shape models as used in orthopaedic surgery, and models of repetitive motion - for example cardiac imaging, liver interventions, lung radiotherapy, and positron emission tomography (PET) imaging - with image guidance technologies."

The MedIC group is currently developing models of disease processes to better interpret image-derived information, for instance, in image-based monitoring of disease progression and response to therapy in dementia, and in analysis of fibre tracts in the brain. They are also working on novel image guidance and therapy monitoring for translation to clinical practice of new, targeted therapies based on cellular and molecular processes.

Professor Hawkes added: "We work very closely with colleagues in clinical and biomedical research and with the medical imaging industries. We strongly believe that effective clinical solutions in our area require a combination of academic engineering and scientific research, industrial-based research and development, and clinical research. We have been successful at building teams of researchers in particular clinical and biomedical areas of research activity that encompass all these areas. We also consider it vitally important to provide a supportive, cooperative and collaborative environment to provide our PhD students and research staff with high quality training in the wide range of skills required in this multidisciplinary research area."

To find out more about the centre, use the links below.

Links:
MedIC
Department of Computer Science
Department of Medical Physics & Bioengineering