Development of imaging biomarkers for cancer patients through super-resolution ultrasound imaging

"Super-resolution contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) imaging is perhaps the most exciting development in recent ultrasound imaging history. Its deployment to image blood flow in cancer has shown promise for gaining a better understanding of disease. This project will investigate such a revolutionary imaging method whereby micro-vascular networks will be visualized by tracking individual microbubbles in the blood flow at a spatial resolution below the diffraction limit. The objective of this project is to develop imaging biomarkers for non-invasive diagnosis of cancer patients by analyzing the features of the vascular networks from the super-resolution images. We at Heriot-Watt have already developed a new particle detection and tracking framework for live cell optical microscopy images and most recently translated this technology for ultrasound imaging using existing in vitro and in vivo animal model data. The PhD student in this project will have the opportunity to further develop this super-resolution imaging method, including applying the latest techniques in artificial intelligence, to unleash its full potential. The technology to be developed in this project will be applied specifically to prostate cancer patients, where our ultrasound imaging analysis results will be compared with systematic biopsy and other imaging results, such as MRI, of the patients.
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