10 March 2004

Improving MRI scans for better treatment

Photo opportunity 1pm, Saturday 13 March, Invercarse Hotel, Perth Road, Dundee.

The University of Dundee will host an international meeting this weekend which promises to yield great results for brain tumour patients.

26 delegates from 16 countries all over Europe are coming together in Dundee with five local delegates to work on their latest project - software to maximise the accuracy of MRI scans to improve diagnosis and treatment of patients.

The main scientific aim at this stage is to find out how software technology for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and mathematical models can be used to find out more information about tissue.

Dr Dick Lerski from the University of Dundee Medical School's Department of Medical Physics explains: "If you have information on make up of tissue, whether healthy tissue or tumour, you can build mathematical models which can predict the results of an MRI scan on that tissue. By using these mathematical models to predict results we can apply the MRI scan more accurately, getting the best results out of this technology, identifying the brain tumour more precisely, and giving us the information to improve the results of treatments.

This is an innovative idea which could have a dramatic and exciting outcome, opening up the detailed characterisation of disease processes using magnetic resonance and other imaging methods. We plan to produce a European software product, not existing in the USA or Japan and ground breaking in its scope and application."

This is the first scientific meeting on this European Community funded project which is expected to last four years with clinical trials starting after two years.

Contact Dr Dick Lerski 01382 632700

By Jenny Marra, Head of Press 01382 344910, out of hours: 07968298585, j.m.marra@dundee.ac.uk