Division of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering Newsletter October 2015

Update from Head of Division

“I would like to use my opportunity this month to mention research grants. Firstly to congratulate Mary Rutherford and Jo Hajnal on their $3 million NiH award: Structure and function of the placenta from implantation to delivery: a next generation MRI approach. The award was submitted in partnership with Columbia University alongside King’s Co-Investigators Paul Aljabar, Ralph Sinkus, Christina Malamateniou, Lucy Chappell and Dharmintra Pasupathy, in addition to colleagues from University College and the University of Nottingham. This is a great achievement and I’m sure we will all congratulate the team on their hard work in securing this. In much earlier stages, we have also submitted an application to the Wellcome Trust to part-fund the purchase of a 7T scanner which the Division will host as part of a London consortium.

And finally, the Wellcome Trust have invited us to submit an application to renew our Medical Engineering Centre. This would be an excellent opportunity to build on the successes of the last Centre which delivered many of the recruitments and infrastructure projects of the last few years. I will be having preliminary discussions with our academics and the application will be submitted in December.” Reza Razavi

What’s happening in the Division? King’s Imaging Blog

Divisional Symposium David Lloyd provides the latest update on the iFIND The programme for the first student led Divisional project via his blog post Moving scenes Symposium is nearing completion and all staff and students Carlotta Taddei blogs about her involvement in an are welcome to attend to this showcase of our PhD students’ international collaboration and her secondment in research. Participants can enjoy poster sessions, keynote Amsterdam, Boosting radiochemistry around Europe speakers plus networking opportunities with academics and reps from industry and HEI. Book via Eventbrite

Artificial intelligence predicts response to cancer treatment

Giovanni Montana and collaborators have designed an artificial intelligence system that predicts whether a cancer patient will respond to chemotherapy. By using a unique algorithm created using images collected from 107 patients diagnosed with oesophageal cancer, and taking a single PET image of the tumour taken before starting the therapy, the Carlotta with her European partners researchers have provided a way to noninvasively predict If you want to write about your research or your public treatment response before therapy, potentially allowing engagement activities then please do get in touch with oncologists to personalise future cancer treatments in the the Newsletter Editor, Alice Taylor-Gee clinic. Read more here.

Grant update The KCL Research Development Unit offers a number of resources for grant applications, from courses to videos of talks by

funders. You can find out more on their website as well as checking out the Division’s internal website for a short overview of the types of support which is especially likely to be useful to researchers in our division.

Congratulations:  Anita Montagna, neuroscience PhD student from the Department of Perinatal Imaging & Health has won a Science Communication Award from the Royal Society of Biology. Read news story  Mary Rutherford and Jo Hajnal have won a research award from the National Institutes of Health, America’s national medical research agency. The Project will fund technology development and testing to assess placental function throughout pregnancy, with the ultimate goal of improving pregnancy outcomes and lifelong health. Read news story  Rafael Torres has been awarded a KHP Research and Development Challenge Fund grant  Daniel Rueckert, a supervisor in our CDT has been elected a Royal Academy of Engineering fellow  Markus Schirmer and Zaitul Saffee successfully defended their PhD thesis  Julia Torres named KCL coordinator for 2016 Pint of Science Festival  Phil Blower gave invited talks on rhenium-188 radionuclide therapy in Coimbatore, India, and on cell tracking at the UK Regenerative Medicine Platform safety hub meeting in (slightly less exotic) Liverpool. Phil, along with Jas, & Jim also organised the summer school on Radiochemical Purity measurement, a two day practical course attended by 20 radio pharmacists and radiopharmacy technicians from UK and beyond.  Alessia Volpe was selected to give an oral presentation at the "New Advances in Animal Models and Preclinical Imaging for Translational Research in Cancerology 2015" conference in La Turballe.

Early Careers Researcher Corner Teaching & Courses

The Centre for Doctoral Training in Medical Imaging welcomes its 2nd cohort of students who started the term on 21 September.

The BEng degree programme has reached its highest intake with over 40 students which is a proud moment for the department. A successful induction took place on 16 October with introductions to the course and college by the energetic Kawal Rhode, Members of the ECR Committee Programme Director for the BEng/MEng and Oleg Aslanidi, Senior Personal Tutor. The students were The committee would like to thank Devis Peressutti who is from various backgrounds, and networked with each leaving the Department of Biomedical Engineering and KCL, for other and with their personal tutors, over a delicious his contribution to the Post Doc Committee. Arna Van Engelen lunch. will be joining the committee this month as a new representative for BME. Equally the division enjoyed the second highest

intake on the MRes and MSc RadPET programmes. Invitation for all to attend: Students that will pass on the MSc RadPET Information session on KCL Pension Scheme with Pauline Jobb Date: Thursday 22 October programmes this year will gain recognition from the Time: 1pm – 2pm Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) as the programme is Location: Seminar Room, 4th floor Lambeth Wing accredited by the prestigious RSC. Please email your questions and queries to your ECR Representative or directly to the ECR Committee by 12 October. Positron Emission Tomography (PET): Technology

and Application Course For more information regarding the ECR committee, events and training please go online. Dates: 21 - 23 March 2016 Venue: Guy’s Campus, King’s College London

Fees: £770 corporate, £660 non corporate, £300

student. More information online

Image of the month

PhD student wins Science Communication Award

Anita Montagna, neuroscience PhD student from the Department of Perinatal Imaging & Health has won a Science Communication Award from the Royal Society of Biology.

Held annually, the Society's awards are intended to reward science engagement work carried out by research scientists in order to inform and inspire the public.

The New Researcher Prize of £750 was awarded to Anita Montagna for her outreach work with children and the design of an innovative new MRI scanner model.

Anita said: “I feel honoured. This award is an important acknowledgement of my and other researchers’ efforts. Science is for everybody and the award makes me feel that society recognises and rewards the energy I have put in to engaging the public and communicating my research. It is a genuine reward but it is also a push for me and all my colleagues to keep going.”

Anita’s primary research focus involves investigating the neuroplasticity - how life experiences can reorganise the pathways within the brain - of young children born prematurely, and how computerised cognitive training can be of benefit. Anita engaged with families and children through setting up a series of school workshops in order to enthuse potential test participants and emphasise the importance of brain functioning research.

The judges were greatly impressed by her inflatable model MRI scanner, designed to prepare young children with a ‘mock’ of the real experience, to ensure a positive experience for the participant and a clear scan for the researchers.

The award will be presented at the RSB’s Annual Award Ceremony on Thursday 15th October during Biology Week 2015.

Showcasing our research

3D heart models, made from patients with heart conditions from Guy’s and St Thomas’ and Evelina London Children's Hospital, won the ‘Organiser’s Choice’ best stand with the British Heart Foundation at the Labour Party conference in Brighton. The stand was there to highlight the importance of research to politicians. Alberto Gomez also worked with the BHF on their research stand by City Hall, talking with business Kawal Rhode at the winning stand leaders as part of a Santander partner event about his research into heart conditions. He was joined by Lucas Hadjilucas; both are post docs in the Biomedical Engineering Department. Alberto Gomez ready to engage with business leaders

Public engagement

A selection of public engagement opportunities to get involved in – please contact Alice Taylor-Gee if you are interested in taking part in any of these.

Funding

*New* King’s College London Public Engagement Small Grants King's College London is one of 10 universities that has been awarded funding from Research Councils UK as part of the new Public Engagement with Research Catalyst Seed Fund. King's will use this award to help to pilot a new approach to strengthening the relationship between engagement and clinical research. This has led to new funding via the Public Engagement Small Grants. PhD students, research staff and academic staff are invited to apply for a small grant of up to £750 to deliver a public engagement activity. There will be two application rounds this year, closing 9 November 2015 and 11 April 2016. Priority will be given to projects which facilitate two-way communication (dialogue): for example, activities which enable audiences to share their views on the future direction of research in a particular area. The primary audience(s) for activities should be non-specialists, e.g. families, school children, community groups.

Royal Society of Chemistry Outreach Fund Through the fund we aim to encourage and support the development of projects that raise awareness of chemistry in people’s everyday lives, and/or develop the science communication skills of those who are already highly trained in chemistry. There are three categories of grants available from £200-£50,000. View website to find everything you need to know, including a list of projects that we have previously supported. Deadline is 30 October.

Opportunities

Big Bang London This event will offer a full programme of inspiring, hands-on STEM on 3 November at Westminster Kingsway College, Kings Cross. Target audience is secondary students and expect approx. 2,000 visitors.

London Skills Fair This Career Event takes place on 13 & 14 November at the Excel in London. Talk about your research and your career path to up to 7000 attendees per day, between the ages of 15 and 24. The organisers are looking for anything interactive for participants to see and do.

Careers Speed Networking Volunteers are required at a careers event on 11 December at Bonus Pastor Catholic College, Winlaton Road, BR1 5PZ, for you to provide information about your research and career path. The target audience is 14-15 year olds.

Hands up for Health Volunteers required on the following dates so if you are free on any of these please do get in touch: 1, 23, 25 November or 10 December. All take place in the SaIL centre in St Thomas’ Hospital. It is a fun and innovative way to bring healthcare to life and help change young lives. Find out more online about volunteering.

Policy Idol Do you want to change the world? Do you have an idea for policymakers? Do you think you can convince a group of policy experts in just three minutes? Policy Idol is an annual competition open to all students and staff at King’s. The competition is a great opportunity for you to pitch your policy idea to an elite panel of leading figures from the worlds on politics, academia and industry. Deadline 4 December

Policy Fellowship Are you a PhD student in your final or penultimate year? Could you produce rigorous and accessible analysis of public policy issues in science and technology in order to inform parliamentary debate? The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology is offering a three month fellowship to a PhD student funded by the Nuffield Foundation in memory of its late Chairman, Lord Flowers of Queen’s Gate. Deadline 18 October

Welcome to our new starters

Melanie Regan is the new Saad Qureshi is the new Education Department Manager of Perinatal Manager in the Division, supporting the Imaging and Health. She was teaching and administration for the range formerly employed in the MRC of undergraduate, postgraduate taught Centre for Transplantation, and PhD programmes. He was previously Division of Transplantation Head of Academics at London College of Immunology & Mucosal Biology Business Management and Information over at the Guy’s Hospital Technology. Campus. Tevfik F Ismail has joined the Sébastien Roujol has joined the Cardiovascular Magnetic Biomedical Engineering Department as a Resonance Unit as a locum Clinical Lecturer. He was previously working at Lecturer and Honorary Consultant the Harvard Medical School as a Research Cardiologist. fellow/Instructor in cardiac MRI.

Srinivas Narayan has joined the Division as a MD Abofazl Mehranian has joined the Biomedical Engineering (Research) student for advanced cardiovascular Department as a Research Associate, working with Andrew imaging. He is looking at Image fusion technology to Reader. help reduce radiation in cardiac interventions. He is Francisco Pastor is the new PET Project Validation also a Paediatric Cardiologist (Registrar) at the Evelina Manager. London Children's Hospital. Marietta Charakida has joined the Cardiovascular Savelie Cornegruta has joined the Biomedical Engineering Imaging Division as a Senior Lecturer/Consultant in Department as a Research Associate, working with Congenital Heart Disease. Prior to this role, she was Giovanni Montana. working as an Academic Clinical Lecturer at UCL. Isabel Dregely has joined the Biomedical Nisha Kuzhuppilly Ramakrishnan has joined as Imaging Engineering Department as a Lecturer. Scientist working in pre-clinical imaging.

We also welcome Masters students: Riya Radia, Iain Mcgregor, Archil and Catherine Munteanu have all joined the Department of Imaging Chemistry and Biology. We also welcome our new CDT cohort: Andreia Gaspar, Gemma Brown, Karina Lopez, James Bland, Cen Chen, Peter Gawne, Joseph Downey, Sophie Morse, Rainbow Lo, Rhiannon Evans, Jessica Dafflon, Aditi Roy, Constantin Vasiliu and Jorge Mariscal-Harana.

Staff Spotlight: This month meet Mick Barnes! I’m Mick, employed part-time as a finance administrator in the MRI Admin office although I’ve been here a while and have had various roles. I began as an archivist when there was only around 50 staff and students and one MRI scanner. Over the years, as the Division grew, I became more involved in running the scanners and dealing with cardiologists and referred patients. I found this research administrator role very interesting and ultimately led me to a radiography degree which I’ll hopefully complete by June next year.

My current job is split about 50/50 purchasing computers and consumables, and invoicing hospitals and external users of the MRI scanners. I like academic environments and have also worked at SOAS and the Royal College of Art (I once wanted to be a painter). Being surrounded by a united nations of enquiring minds, combined with continually evolving technologies, keeps my mind fresh. In my free time I love cycling through the middle of London, sunshine, reading books on deserted beaches and thinking about painting but never picking up a brush.

Divisional Jobs Board

Clinical Lecturer and Honorary Consultant in PET Imaging This is a full-time appointment where the appointee will share in the responsibility for running a high quality clinical PET/CT and PET/MR service interacting with the rest of the clinical team and other key PET Centre staff. Deadline: 11 October

Administrative Assistant in the Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering The purpose of the Administrative Assistant is to provide accurate and reliable secretarial and clerical support and assist with the day-to-day administrative delivery for the undergraduate and postgraduate programmes within the Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering. Deadline: 19 October

MR Research Radiographer in the Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health We are seeking an experienced MR Radiographer to deliver an efficient and effective service for participants of our MRI clinical research studies. Deadline: 25 October

October November

Divisional Symposium Film showing of 'Inside Out of Mind' 19 October, Governor’s Hall, St Thomas’ 11 November, 5-7.30pm, B.5 Auditorium, Franklin Wilkins Building Hospital The Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery will host A showcase of the research being undertaken the first London showing of 'Inside Out of Mind'- a film of the by PhD students at King’s and Imperial, powerful play which shows the world of dementia care services in an organised by the students themselves. There NHS ward and the reality of living with dementia. Light refreshments will be keynote talks, poster presentations as well as time to provided. Book your place network. Book via Eventbrite Statistical Issues in designing a large-scale reliability exercise The Heart and Lung Convenience Store in ultrasonography of the joint synovium 19 October – 1 November, 12-6pm, Kings Mall, Hammersmith NIHR Statistics group: Imaging studies section The Heart and Lung Convenience Store will be a one-off collection of 11 November, 12-4.30pm Public Health, . interactive exhibits and installations exploring how medicine is Book online becoming more available, more personalised and more convenient. Visitors can discover the future of heart and lung healthcare and find December out about fascinating research conducted by ’s National Heart & Lung Institute. 9th Biological and Medicinal Chemistry Postgraduate

Symposium Divisional seminar – Athena Swan series 11 December, University of Cambridge 20 October, Large Seminar Room, 4th Floor Lambeth Wing, St The day will consist of 11 oral presentations plus a Flash Poster Thomas’ Hospital section. There will be prizes for the best oral presentation and best Radiation biology; how big a role does it play in radionuclide imaging poster. Register online or therapy? By Samantha Terry, Lecturer in ICAB Department

KCL Pension Scheme with Pauline Jobb (KCL) 22 October, 1-2pm, Large Seminar Room, 4th Floor Lambeth Wing, St Thomas’ Hospital

Keep up to date with Divisional news by following @KingsImaging on twitter

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This newsletter will keep you up to date with what is going on in the Division of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering at King’s College London. If you have any contributions please email the Editor Alice Taylor-Gee