Posts

Lucas led on the development of the first fetal brain atlas for spina bifida aperta (SBA). This first-time atlas will allow researchers to perform measurements of the brain’s anatomy and to study its development in a large population of unborn babies with SBA

WiM-WILL is a digital platform that provides MICCAI members to share their career pathways to the outside world in parallel to MICCAI conference. Muhammad Asad (interviewer) and Navodini Wijethilake (interviewee) from our lab group participated in this competition this year and secured the second place. Their interview was focused on overcoming challenges in research as a student. The link to the complete interview is available below and on youtube.

• Title: Artificial intelligence-driven management of brain tumours
• Project ID: BE-MI2023_15
• First supervisor: Jonathan Shapey
• Second supervisor: Tom Vercauteren
• Start date: October 2023
• Application deadline: Wednesday 9 November 2022, 1:00 PM (GMT)

Project description

Approximately 25,000 patients are diagnosed with a brain tumour every year in the UK. Meningiomas and pituitary adenomas are the first and third most common primary tumour, accounting for over 50% of all primary brain tumours. Brain metastases affect up to 40% of patients with extracranial primary cancer.

We are working to develop new technologies that combine a new type of camera system, referred to as hyperspectral, with Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems to reveal to neurosurgeons information that is otherwise not visible to the naked eye during surgery. Two studies are currently bringing this “hyperspectral” technology to operating theatres. The NeuroHSI study uses a hyperspectral camera attached to an external scope to show surgeons critical information on tissue blood flow and distinguishes vulnerable structures which need to be protected. The NeuroPPEye study is developing this technology adapted for surgical microscopes, to guide tumour surgery.

Yijing has been awarded the prestigious Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellowship for her research in the development of tools to help neurosurgeons during surgery.

Dr Xie says that currently there is a lack of effective ways to assess brain functions in real-time, particularly during brain surgery. During such a procedure, the surgeon must remove all cancerous tissue while preserving surrounding brain tissue and regions that serve important functions.

• Focus: Translational research in biomedical optics for hyperspectral imaging based quantitative fluorescence linked with an in-patient neurosurgery clinical study
• Line manager: Tom Vercauteren
• Clinical collaborator: King’s College Hospital
• Industry collaborator: Hypervision Surgical
• Salary: Grade 6, £38,826 - £45,649 per annum, including London Weighting Allowance

Job description

We are seeking a biomedical optics researcher to design and translate the next generation of hyperspectral imaging systems for surgical guidance using quantitative fluorescence. The postholder, based within the Department of Surgical & Interventional Engineering at King’s College London, will play a key role in a collaborative project with King’s College Hospital and work closely with the project’s industrial collaborator Hypervision Surgical, a recently founded King’s spin-out company. A clinical neurosurgery study has been set up to underpin this collaboration.

Recent release of MONAI Label v0.4.0 extends support for multi-label scribbles interactions to enable scribbles-based interactive segmentation methods.

CAI4CAI team member Muhammad Asad contributed to the development, testing and review of features related to scribbles-based interactive segmentation in MONAI Label.

The FAROS consortium had a fantastic and highly productive time working at the labs of Balgrist Campus AG and the operating room at Balgrist University Hospital this week.

• Focus: Translational research on hyperspectral-based quantitative fluorescence imaging linked with a neurosurgery clinical study
• Primary supervisor: Tom Vercauteren
• Secondary supervisor: Jonathan Shapey
• Industry collaborator: Hypervision Surgical
• Funding type: Tuition fee, stipend (Home Fee status only).
• Application closing date: 11 April 2022
• Start date: June 2022

Aim of the project

This project aims at enabling wide-field and real-time quantitative assessment of tumour-specific fluorescence by designing novel deep-learning-based computational algorithms. The project will leverage a compact hyperspectral imaging (HSI) system developed by Hypervision Surgical Ltd initially designed for contrast-free imaging.

We are actively involving patients and carers to make our research on next generation neurosurgery more relevant and impactful. Early February 2022, our research scientists from King’s College London and King’s College Hospital organised a Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) meeting with support from The Brain Tumour Charity.