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Appointment
- Emeritus Professor of Paediatric Imaging
- Developmental Neurosciences Dept
- UCL GOS Institute of Child Health
- Faculty of Pop Health Sciences
Research Themes
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Renal MRI research started at ICH in 2005 with studies on volunteers to show reproducibility and reliability of dynamic contrast enhanced renal MRI [1], [2] [3]–[7]. Research investigated diffusion imaging and renal blood flow (RBF) in volunteers and kidney donors. A new renal biomarker, filtration fraction was developed. A longitudinal study of 20 children following kidney transplantation was undertaken in combination with Evelina Children’s Hospital. These children underwent between 4 and 5 MRI scans in the first year post transplantation [12], [13].
Over the last three years, we focused on improving the robustness of renal blood flow measurements using noninvasive ASL MRI in the kidneys. We investigated the sources of image artefacts [14], demonstrated use of single-shot 3D GRASE in the kidney for the first time. We developed an automatic algorithm to identify and reject corrupted measurements without the need for pulse sequence modifications or extra acquisitions.
Our optimised ASL acquisition was used for scanning a cohort of 11 children with chronic kidney disease (CKD),the first time such a group of patients underwent renal ASL. Each patient was scanned on two different days to assess the reproducibility of the measurements. Despite the images being free of motion artefacts, the additional bulk body movement and irregular respiratory rates (which reduces the efficacy of respiratory triggering)
prevalent in the patient cohort still poses challenges as all the measurements rely on processing an image time series. We developed a novel, dedicated image processing pipeline using validated image registration methods to align both the ASL time-series and the corresponding T1 and M0 calibration maps. This improved the reproducibility of both the renal cortical T1 and perfusion measurements. This work has resulted in a successful PhD.
Our group including colleagues at King’s College London (KCL) are working on renal diffusion imaging as well as Magnetic Resonance Elastography (MRE). Current work at UCL GOS ICH is further developing both diffusion MRI and MRE in children with CKD.
Through publications of our work, we were invited to present our results at the 1st International Renal MRI Symposium in Bordeaux, France in 2015 as well as to the 2nd International Renal MRI Symposium that will be held in Berlin in October 2017. All members of our renal team are part of PARENCHIMA, a network from 22 European countries that will boost the use of MRI biomarkers in efficiently managing chronic kidney disease.
I am joint secretary of the UK Renal Imaging Network (UKRIN).
Over the last three years, we focused on improving the robustness of renal blood flow measurements using noninvasive ASL MRI in the kidneys. We investigated the sources of image artefacts [14], demonstrated use of single-shot 3D GRASE in the kidney for the first time. We developed an automatic algorithm to identify and reject corrupted measurements without the need for pulse sequence modifications or extra acquisitions.
Our optimised ASL acquisition was used for scanning a cohort of 11 children with chronic kidney disease (CKD),the first time such a group of patients underwent renal ASL. Each patient was scanned on two different days to assess the reproducibility of the measurements. Despite the images being free of motion artefacts, the additional bulk body movement and irregular respiratory rates (which reduces the efficacy of respiratory triggering)
prevalent in the patient cohort still poses challenges as all the measurements rely on processing an image time series. We developed a novel, dedicated image processing pipeline using validated image registration methods to align both the ASL time-series and the corresponding T1 and M0 calibration maps. This improved the reproducibility of both the renal cortical T1 and perfusion measurements. This work has resulted in a successful PhD.
Our group including colleagues at King’s College London (KCL) are working on renal diffusion imaging as well as Magnetic Resonance Elastography (MRE). Current work at UCL GOS ICH is further developing both diffusion MRI and MRE in children with CKD.
Through publications of our work, we were invited to present our results at the 1st International Renal MRI Symposium in Bordeaux, France in 2015 as well as to the 2nd International Renal MRI Symposium that will be held in Berlin in October 2017. All members of our renal team are part of PARENCHIMA, a network from 22 European countries that will boost the use of MRI biomarkers in efficiently managing chronic kidney disease.
I am joint secretary of the UK Renal Imaging Network (UKRIN).
