Clinical Research Imaging Centre

Our objective is to establish a state-of-the-art integrated Clinical Research Imaging Centre to
enable translational clinical research performed within the University of Edinburgh and
particularly within the internationally renowned Centres for Cardiovascular Science, Inflammation
Research, Reproductive Biology and Clinical Brain Sciences. Our vision is that the co-localisation
of 3T whole-body magnetic resonance imaging with positron emission and computed
tomography imaging will provide an unparalleled resource which will markedly enhance clinical
research and experimental medicine within this highly productive and unique grouping of worldleading
basic and clinical scientists, and feed directly into the newly established Clinical
Research Networks.
We are establishing the Clinical Research Imaging Centre in the University’s new Queen’s
Medical Research Institute and have already secured the provision of combined positron
emission and computed tomography, and a dedicated on-site cyclotron. We request funding and
support for the provision of a 3T whole-body magnetic resonance imaging scanner and
associated support costs. This enhanced magnetic resonance capability will build upon the
University’s highly successful clinical neuroimaging infrastructure already established in
Edinburgh through the Brain Imaging Research Centre and complement the juxtaposed
Biomedical Magnetic Resonance Imaging Unit with its pre-clinical 7 Tesla magnetic resonance
imaging scanner.

Funding for a 3T MRI & associated support costs to enable expansion of existing MRI research capability to build upon infrastructure model developed through Brain Imaging Research Centre in juxtaposition with adjacent 7T Biomedical MRI unit.

Major research themes: translational & experimental medicine investigating disease within the cardiovascular, inflammatory and central nervous systems. Plan to maximise benefits of 3T MRI with novel imaging strategies: MRI contrast agents consisting of small & ultrasmall superparamagnetic particles of iron oxide to label specific cell types ex vivo & in vivo; perfusion & diffusion-weighted imaging to charaterise physiological & pathophysiological processes involved in tissue inflammation, ischemia and infarction in cardiovascular and CNS; magnetic resonance spectroscopy for metabolic studies of brain, liver, heart, skeletal muscle and other organs including potential examination of metabolism within atherosclerotic plaques.