April 14, 2016

the world’s largest imaging (scanning) study gets under way

Taking pictures of the inside of the body is well known as a clinical diagnostic tool, but it also holds tremendous promise for health research and a better understanding of a wide range of diseases, like dementia, cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, arthritis and stroke.

Scientists in the UK are now embarking on the world’s largest ever imaging research study. Its goal is to use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and other state-of-the-art imaging methods to scan 100,000 people (at least 10 times bigger than any previous imaging study) in the coming years and provide the most detailed examination yet of major organs. These images will allow scientists all over the world to discover new early signs and risk factors of disease, to better understand why some people develop major diseases and others do not, and to develop interventions (such as new drugs, or changes in lifestyle) that could prevent these diseases.

The £40 million project is funded by the Medical Research Council, Wellcome Trust and the British Heart Foundation. It is a further exciting chapter in the life of UK Biobank, to provide extensive and detailed data to a wide range of health scientists in the UK and overseas.

Journalists came to the SMC to hear four experts discuss this latest pioneering UK Biobank venture, and how it is changing research:

• What sorts of scans are being done?
• How will they be used?
• What might they add to what we already know about heart and brain diseases, osteoporosis and fat?
• Who can get involved, how and when?
• How will incidental findings be managed?

Speakers:

Prof. Cathie Sudlow, UK Biobank Chief Scientist, Professor of Neurology and Clinical Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh & Honorary Consultant Neurologist , NHS Lothian

Prof. Paul Matthews, Chair of the UK Biobank Imaging Expert Working Group & Edmond and Lilly Safra Chair & Head, Division of Brain Sciences, Imperial College, London

Prof. Steffen Petersen, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine & Honorary Consultant Cardiologist, Centre Lead for Advanced Cardiovascular Imaging, William Harvey Research Institute, NIHR Biomedical Research Unit at Barts

Prof. Steve Smith, Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Oxford University Centre for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain