Department of Neuroimaging

INTRODUCTION

The Department of Neuroimaging's world-class team of academic physicists and methodologists, headed up by Professor Steve Williams who has co-authored over 350 papers and chapters in leading neuroscience journals, are at the forefront of research and development in the field of brain imaging. Neuroimaging is one of the most successful research disciplines at the Institute of Psychiatry (IoP). As a whole, the IoP has over a thousand peer-reviewed neuroimaging publications to date and current related grant income is in excess of £15 million.

As well as running an MSc dedicated to Neuroimaging, Departmental staff also contribute widely to other programmes within the IoP, King's and at other institutions, including organising and running the Neuroimaging module of the MSc in Neuroscience. Staff also supervise PhD students on topics related to their research specialisms in areas including imaging physics, imaging analysis, neuropharmacology and pain research. Collaboration is at the heart of the ethos of the Department of Neuroimaging, where our students form an essential part of the team of academics, clinicians, and technicians who make up our research and teaching community. Currently major collaborations include our extensive involvement in the imaging components of the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre for Mental Health (BRC) and the Wellcome Trust/EPSRC King's Medical Engineering Centre (MEC). The Department has recently gained widespread media coverage (from Sky, The Telegraph, BBC) on two studies – one locating the source of anxiety in the brain; the second concerning the development of a diagnostic tool for autistic spectrum disorders.

INDUCTION & TRAINING

The Department of Neuroimaging offers training to new staff and students in the form of series of lectures held several times a year. These include the popular CNS Neuroimaging Primer, aimed at those with no or little Neuroimaging experience, as well as lecture series on Advanced Physics and Image Analysis. In addition, we also run seminar series, such as the Friday Morning Neuroimaging Lecture and regular internal seminars and journal clubs.

FACILITIES

For research studies, the Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences (CNS) houses dedicated 1.5T and 3T GE Signa HDx TwinSpeed MRI scanners. These machines are capable of functional, spectroscopic, anatomical and pathological mapping techniques. Preclinical MRI is performed on a 7T Varian MRIS scanner, fully equipped for experimental studies, with adjoining dedicated ancillary services. The scanner has all the capabilities of the 1.5 and 3T scanners but significantly higher spatial resolution is possible. The Department also houses a dedicated EEG research lab. The IoP shares the same site as the world famous Maudsley Hospital, which is part of the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) - one of the largest mental health providers in Europe. King’s is committed to translational research and is proud to be the only university in the country to host three National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centres (BRCs) and six MRC centres. At the IoP we partner with SLaM to host the only specialist BRC for Mental Health in the UK working towards better treatment, earlier diagnosis and individualised healthcare. Students also have access to the largest library in Europe dedicated to psychiatry and related disciplines.

KEY FACTS