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Projects

Pulmonary imaging

Lung diseases are one of the main causes of mortality and disability worldwide. In recent years, hyperpolarized gas MRI has emerged as a promising new technology with the potential to improve diagnosis and potentially allow the development of new, better treatments. Before this promise is fulfilled, advances need to be made in both acquisition technology and image analysis. We are focusing in the image analysis side by using a combination of state-of-the-art image analysis methods and computational models, with the final aim of improving the understanding of image datasets and developing methods that link image values with the underlying lung function.

Cardiovascular imaging and modelling

Workflow of an automated cardiac histo-anatomy processing pipeline. In Plank et al, Phil Trans R Soc A 2009; 367:2257-2292

Computational models are becoming a standard tool in many biomedical applications, and in particular in cardiovascular medicine. In the last years we have developed a pipeline to build computational models from high-resolution multimodal images. This includes the development of 3D histology dataset through registration with MRI scans, segmentation of relevant structures and mesh generation and the application of ionic models to investigate the relevance of small structures in electrical simulation results. Current research includes the extension of these methods to quantify intersubject variability, through the use of a standardized reference frame.

Biological image processing

Images are becoming ubiquitous in biological applications. Current image data volumes in biology labs no longer allow traditional visual analysis, and with the increasing use of high-throughput experiments there is a pressing need for robust, reusable biological image processing tools. Our current interests include the use of phase-based operation for curvilinear structure extraction in microscopy images.