First EU virtual brain imaging lab offers hope for stroke, Alzheimer sufferers

A network between six Scottish universities was launched Thursday, establishing a £40 million ($69.26 million U.S.) initiative to share brain imaging technology.

SINAPSE [The Scottish Imaging Network: A Platform for Scientific Excellence] will bring together researchers from the universities of Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling and St Andrews to form the first virtual clinical imaging laboratory.

Experts from the six universities, as well as research institutions in England and the Netherlands, will meet to discuss how the project works and what it will mean for treating brain conditions in the future.

“This new collaboration will be internationally unique…Working together, we can make new discoveries for the benefit of all patients, which would be hard to make by working alone,” according to Joanna Wardlaw, professor of applied neuroimaging and honorary consultant neuroradiologist at the University of Edinburgh.

The equipment the six universities will be sharing under SINPASE includes PET, MRI and CT scanners.

Around the web

The new technology shows early potential to make a significant impact on imaging workflows and patient care. 

Richard Heller III, MD, RSNA board member and senior VP of policy at Radiology Partners, offers an overview of policies in Congress that are directly impacting imaging.
 

The two companies aim to improve patient access to high-quality MRI scans by combining their artificial intelligence capabilities.