PhD in Biomedical/Information Engineering

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and lethal adult brain tumour, with relapse driven by infiltrative tumour cells that escape surgical resection and resist therapy. These residual GBM cells at the tumour margin represent a key target for earlier and more effective therapeutic intervention./nThis PhD project will develop advanced MRI analysis methods and imaging-driven predictive models focusing on the glioblastoma infiltrative margin. This involves use of anatomical and physiometabolic imaging methods, including arterial spin labelling perfusion, neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI), and chemical exchange saturation transfer. By combining multiple modalities and parameters, we aim to identify at risk sites for GBM relapse at the earliest opportunity, before progression becomes apparent clinically./nWe will develop cancer biomarkers through statistical models, including AI driven strategies, to predict highly aggressive tissue molecular signatures for mapping future GBM relapse, linking imaging features to phenometabolic signatures from tissue samples taken during surgery and matched to the imaging./nThe project is part of the imaging theme for the new Nottingham Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence. This is a unique opportunity to work on advanced image analysis and image-driven modelling as part of a wider multi-disciplinary programme that includes mathematical modelling, cancer metabolomics and novel physiological MRI technique development within a translational research environment bridging analytical bioscience and neuro-oncology./nThis project will be based in Precision Imaging (School of Medicine), which houses world-class infrastructure including a 3T Philips Elition intraoperative MRI suite (at Queens Medical Centre) and is part of the Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre at the University of Nottingham which has a recently upgraded 7T MRI and will open the UK’s National Ultra High Field (11.7T) MRI facility within the direction of the project.