About us
Radiation is the common theme across the Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences Research Group.
We conduct a spectrum of radiation-related activities from identifying targets involved in the disease process through to discovering drugs that interact with these targets, imaging the interaction and using radiation in the treatment of cancer.
Throughout our research we use a range of imaging technologies including PET, SPECT, MRI and MR-spectroscopy.
Our areas of research include:
- the development of novel biomarkers for in vivo imaging of receptor expression and cell function;
- the development of high resolution instruments and quantitative data analysis methods for in vivo imaging;
- the use of imaging for the study of human diseases and disease models and
- the optimisation of image-guided radiation therapy and population screening.
Because the research is carried out on living organisms (‘in vivo’) the results are more easily translatable to humans.
There are five teams in our group. The teams often work together and have synergies in many areas. Where one team will work on identifying targets, another would work on developing molecules for that target, while another will develop imaging methodology to study the interactions between molecules and the target in vivo.
The teams are:
- Pharmacology of Molecular Biomarkers
Identifies targets in the disease process. - Medical Imaging Physics and Biomodelling
Looks at how we perform an imaging experiment and how we can best model the experiment. - Drug Discovery Research
Develops molecules that interact with biomarkers, primarily in the brain. - Radiotherapy and Cancer
Researches how ionising radiotherapy can best be used to treat cancer treatments - Image Optimisation and Perception
Researches the next generation of advanced instrumentation and computational methods for imaging.
All of the teams are headed up by international leaders in their field.
We were appointed the NSW node of the National Imaging Facility in recognition of our expertise.