Adaptive Optics for Medical Imaging

"Vision-robbing diseases are a major burden on the global healthcare system and a severe detriment to human quality of life. In recent years, cutting-edge technologies like optical coherence tomography (OCT), OCT angiography (OCTA), and adaptive optics (AO) have already changed how these diseases are researched and treated. However, these technologies still face technical barriers that prevent their widespread adoption as the clinical tool-of-choice. In particular, the promising AO-OCT and AO-OCTA combined system designs which, despite having greatly accelerated ophthalmology research, have yet to be commercialized and deployed in eye care clinics due to challenges like human patient motion.

The experiences documented on my CV during my undergraduate and graduate education have provided me with a strong foundation in experiential learning. I have professional-grade skills in biomedical image data acquisition, processing, analysis, and visualization, and am proficient in hardware design of optical systems. Specifically, my prior research has placed special emphasis on developing solutions for human motion artifact, which severely degrades biomedical image quality. I am also well-versed in human anatomy, especially the pathological impacts of blindness-inducing diseases and how their biomarkers manifest within biomedical images.

Under the guidance of my proposed supervisor, Prof. Marinko V. Sarunic, I am well-poised to design and implement research studies that will deploy advanced ophthalmic tools to investigate new biomarkers for retinal diseases including diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and macular degeneration. Specifically, emphasis will be placed upon the design and deployment of optical systems featuring adaptive optics optical coherence tomography (AO-OCT) technology and novel image processing software to complement them. The world-leading combination of UCL's departments of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Institute of Ophthalmology, and Moorfields Eye Hospital is a unique intersectional environment in which I may generate new knowledge in the pursuit of preventing human blindness."

The critical mass of scientists and engineers that i4health will produce will ensure the UK's continued standing as a world-leader in medical imaging and healthcare technology research. In addition to continued academic excellence, they will further support a future culture of industry and entrepreneurship in healthcare technologies driven by highly trained engineers with deep understanding of the key factors involved in delivering effective translatable and marketable technology. They will achieve this through high quality engineering and imaging science, a broad view of other relevant technological areas, the ability to pinpoint clinical gaps and needs, consideration of clinical user requirements, and patient considerations. Our graduates will provide the drive, determination and enthusiasm to build future UK industry in this vital area via start-ups and spin-outs adding to the burgeoning community of healthcare-related SMEs in London and the rest of the UK. The training in entrepreneurship, coupled with the vibrant environment we are developing for this topic via unique linkage of Engineering and Medicine at UCL, is specifically designed to foster such outcomes. These same innovative leaders will bolster the UK's presence in medical multinationals - pharmaceutical companies, scanner manufacturers, etc. - and ensure the UK's competitiveness as a location for future R&D and medical engineering. They will also provide an invaluable source of expertise for the future NHS and other healthcare-delivery services enabling rapid translation and uptake of the latest imaging and healthcare technologies at the clinical front line. The ultimate impact will be on people and patients, both in the UK and internationally, who will benefit from the increased knowledge of health and disease, as well as better treatment and healthcare management provided by the future technologies our trainees will produce.

In addition to impact in healthcare research, development, and capability, the CDT will have major impact on the students we will attract and train. We will provide our talented cohorts of students with the skills required to lead academic research in this area, to lead industrial development and to make a significant impact as advocates of the science and engineering of their discipline. The i4health CDT's combination of the highest academic standards of research with excellent in-depth training in core skills will mean that our cohorts of students will be in great demand placing them in a powerful position to sculpt their own careers, have major impact within our discipline, while influencing the international mindset and direction. Strong evidence demonstrates this in our existing cohorts of students through high levels of conference podium talks in the most prestigious venues in our field, conference prizes, high impact publications in both engineering, clinical, and general science journals, as well as post-PhD fellowships and career progression. The content and training innovations we propose in i4health will ensure this continues and expands over the next decade.