The ITM Imaging Centre at Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), Birmingham will be celebrating its fifth birthday in April. The QEH and University of Birmingham, host a wide range of clinical research projects and many researchers need access to imaging, to help develop more effective targeted treatments with a personalised approach to healthcare.

Access to high-quality MRI scanners to support this research was a problem, as the existing scanners were in use full-time to support clinical patients. With the support of the Clive Richards Foundation, Cobalt installed the very latest ultra-high field MRI scanner in a building adjacent to the ITM. This new facility was ring-fenced to support research.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, research slowed down and the imaging centre was repurposed to be used as a safe ‘Green Site’ out of the QEH. The centre provided urgent support for oncology and vulnerable patients.

Research did not take long to feature again at the imaging centre in the form of urgent studies into the effects of Covid-19. One such study aims to understand the effects of Covid-19 on the health of the lungs, heart, brain, liver and kidneys. The MRI capabilities at the centre are well placed to capture the specialist images required for the study.

In the last 12 months the imaging centre has supported trials looking at sarcopenia (a progressive skeletal muscle disorder), cardiac disease, stroke, brain tumours and liver disease. The unique technical capabilities and highly skilled team enable researchers to deliver the quality of imaging and patient care needed for any given trial.

The ITM Imaging Centre affords the opportunity to bring together radiographers, clinical scientists, specialist nurses, care assistants and administrative teams that can work alongside clinicians and research fellows to deliver these services that would otherwise not exist in this unique setting.