NIHR Imaging Group

Imaging is a cross-cutting, multi-disciplinary field, of critical importance to the entire health and care system, and plays a key role in many patient pathways. Much clinical research is crucially dependent on high quality imaging and the UK plays a leading role globally in developing new imaging techniques, with industry partnerships playing an important part. Imaging is also at the forefront of scientific developments in fast-developing areas such as artificial intelligence. The NIHR is working with patients, health and care professionals, researchers and industry to ensure that the significant innovations in imaging bring benefits to patients. 

The work of the NIHR Imaging Group, along with the other areas of innovation, have led to the development of a number of resources available to researchers, health and care professionals, and industry. 

Imaging research covers two broad classes of activity: studies in which the primary question is related to imaging (for example, assessing the accuracy of a new ultrasound technique) and those studies in which imaging plays an important role in supporting clinical research (for example, computerized tomography (CT) imaging to assess lung tumour volume in a trial of a novel drug for lung cancer). 

The NIHR leads and supports imaging research on a significant scale across all elements of NIHR, including the Biomedical Research Centres, the Clinical Research Facilities, the Clinical Research Network and the Medical Technology and In-vitro diagnostic Co-operatives.

The NIHR Imaging Group has been established to accelerate the development, evaluation and clinical translation of novel imaging science. We will achieve this by: 

• collaborating with key national partners, including UKRI, the major medical research charities and patient groups

• working with NIHR-funded imaging researchers, patients and key stakeholders to develop a strong NIHR multidisciplinary community of practice for imaging research 

• ensuring that NIHR makes a visible, coordinated and effective contribution to scientific advances in imaging, including the development, application and evaluation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for imaging

• supporting the development of the imaging research workforce, with a particular focus on those in the NHS 

• improving the delivery of primary imaging research in the NHS

• strengthening partnerships with industry.

The NIHR Imaging Group is led by a Steering Committee, chaired by Professor Stuart Taylor (UCL) and includes the leads for three working groups and two cross cutting workstreams. We have representatives from the 15 regional NIHR imaging leads and BRCs. The Committee also includes representatives from three key professional bodies – the Royal College of Radiologists, the Society of Radiographers and the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine, whilst patients and other external bodies (including UKRI) are also represented. 

The Imaging Group has three working groups. The working groups are supported by cross-cutting workstreams in the areas of industry, and patient and the public involvement, which are overseen by the Steering Group: 

Workforce Group:

The aim of this group is to increase the capacity and capability of the NHS and academic imaging research workforce. It will also work to improve early-mid career opportunities for grant-supported clinical research and enhance academic careers in imaging. 

Chair: Professor Vicky Goh, Chair of the Academic Committee at the Royal College of Radiologists and Chair of Clinical Cancer Imaging at King’s College London. 

Members:
Dr Tom Turmezei
Dr Anu Obaru
Dr William Ramsden
Dr Tracy O'Regan
Mr Robert Milner
Prof. Margaret Hall-Craggs
Dr Angela Darekar
Dr Fahad Rathore
Dr Abhishekh Ashok
Dr Ian Simcock
Dr Tze Min Wah
Dr Christina Messiou
Dr Kieran Foley
Dr Sebastian Janner
Dr Jamie Franklin
Dr Simon Lowes
Prof. Robert Dineen

Imaging Science Group: 

The aim of this group is to support the development of improved methods of delivering imaging research studies including research element of rapid, secure shared access to large imaging datasets linked to cognate clinical data to support the development of AI and machine learning algorithms in imaging. 

Chair: Professor Andrea Rockall, Clinical Chair in Radiology at Imperial College London 

Members: 
Dr Emily Jefferson
Dr Stavros Stivaros
Mr Dominic Cushnam
Prof. Fiona Gilbert
Dr Simon Doran
Prof. Andy Scarsbrook
Dr Hunain Shiwani
Prof. Rowena Johnson
Dr Andy Swift
Dr Penny Hubbard Cristinacce
Prof. Sue Francis
Dr Phil Clatworthy
Dr Susan Shelmerdine
Dr Christina Malamateniou

Research Delivery Group:

The overarching goal of the Research Delivery Working Group is to improve the imaging research delivery infrastructure within the NIHR and across its partners and stakeholders – NHS, academic and commercial. 

Chair: Dr. Angela Darekar, Lead for MRI Physics and Trust MR Safety Expert at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust and CRN Wessex Imaging Research Lead 

Members:
Dr Sally Barrington
Ms Louise Shalaby
Prof. Dow-Mu Koh
Ms Joanne Thornhill
Mr Christopher Herbert
Jonathan Wadsley
Prof. Vicky Goh
Dr David Rosewarne
Prof. Stephen Price
Prof. Owen Arthurs
Dr Chris Clarke
Dr Mark Thurston
Mr James Grist
Mr Claudio Melchiorri
Dr Andrew MacCormick
Dr Tom Booth
Dr William Teh