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A group of senior chemistry students from H.B. Beal Secondary School visited Lawson Health Research Institute (Lawson) facilities at St. Joseph’s Hospital on Wednesday, November 8. In addition to learning about Lawson’s world-renowned imaging research, the group toured the Cyclotron and PET Radiochemistry Facility and Dr. Alexandre Legros’ brain stimulation lab.

The students first learned about Lawson’s simultaneous PET/MRI – the first in Canada – and its associated research. Led by Dr. Jonathan Thiessen, Lawson imaging scientist, the presentation focused on the benefits of combining Positron Emission Tomography (PET) with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) across multiple disciplines.

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Above: Dr. Jonathan Thiessen discusses Lawson's simultaneous PET/MRI

Benjamin Wilk, a PhD candidate working under Dr. Thiessen’s supervision, presented on his research which is focused on developing methods to image the heart after myocardial infarction, or heart attack, using PET/MRI. Qi Qi, another of Dr. Thiessen’s PhD candidates, discussed his research that looks at multimodal imaging to evaluate tumour perfusion and glycolysis in brain tumours.

"It is an incredible opportunity to present our work to high school students,” said Dr. Thiessen. “By seeing examples of the research happening in their own community, my hope is that some of them will be inspired and work hard to become the scientists and healthcare professionals of tomorrow."

The students were then split into two tour groups. The first group toured Lawson’s Nordal Cyclotron and PET Radiochemistry Facility with the facility’s director, Dr. Michael Kovacs; Jeff Corsaut, engineer; and Dr. Justin Hicks, Lawson imaging scientist.

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Above: Dr. Justin Hicks provides a tour of The Cyclotron and PET Radiochemistry Facility

The Cyclotron and PET Radiochemistry Facility is used to produce positron-emitting radiopharmaceuticals (PERs). PERs are injected into patients undergoing a positron emission tomography (PET) scan. The half-life of the radioactive isotopes in PERs is short, which necessitates generating them with a cyclotron that is in close proximity to the clinic where they are used.

The students learned how PERs are produced in the Cyclotron and research being conducted with PERs to advance imaging of complex diseases.

The second group toured Dr. Alexandre Legros’ brain stimulation lab which is part of the Bioelectromagnetics and Human Threshold Research Group at Lawson. Dr. Legros’ research focuses on the effects of specific electromagnetic stimuli - from deep brain stimulation to power-frequency magnetic fields - on human brain processing, motor control and cognitive functions. The students were guided by lab manager, Michael Corbacio, and postdoctoral scholar, Dr. Sebastien Villard.

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Above: Dr. Sebastien Villard (second from right) and Michael Corbacio (far right) provide a demonstration of research being conducted in Dr. Alexandre Legros' Bioelectromagnetics and Human Threshold Research Group

The two groups of students then traded places, touring the facility they had not yet visited.

“The H.B Beal senior chemistry class was impressed and grateful with the opportunity to visit the facilities at Lawson Health Research Institute,” said Andrew Holmes, the class’ teacher and head of science at H.B. Beal. “The presentations, cyclotron tour and research lab gave students some valuable insight into some of the roads available to them with a scientific path in education. Students were particularly impressed with how enthusiastic and excited the researchers were in talking about their work at Lawson, and came away with a very positive view of scientific career paths.”

As the research institute of London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) and St. Joseph’s Health Care London, our teams impact the lives of people in Ontario, Canada and around the globe with groundbreaking studies, world firsts and translational research that enhances care, health and wellbeing. Here are some of Lawson Health Research Institute’s top research highlights of 2022.

Researchers looking to better personalize treatment for PTSD

In a new study through Lawson and Western University’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, scientists are looking at a form of treatment called deep brain reorienting (DBR) for those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Read more.

Virtual care associated with significant environmental and patient cost savings

A new study by researchers at ICES, Lawson and Western finds that virtual care during the COVID-19 pandemic led to a significant reduction in carbon dioxide emissions and patient travel-related expenses, such as gasoline, parking or public transit costs. Read more.

Novel test that could easily diagnose blast injury created by local scientists

In a world first, researchers at Lawson and Defence Research and Development Canada have developed a breath test that could be used to diagnose repetitive blast injury – a mild traumatic brain injury resulting from pressure changes that occur during explosions. The device will soon go through clinical trials to validate its efficacy. Read more.

Local researchers using artificial intelligence to lead the way in bedside lung imaging

A team at Lawson is testing a new form of artificial intelligence (AI), paired with portable ultrasound machines, to image and identify lung concerns in real time, right at the beside of critically ill patients. Approximately 100 critical care patients at LHSC will be part of this study. Read more.

New tool shows promise in helping people manage traumatic brain injuries one pace at a time

A team at Lawson has developed a new app called MyBrainPacer™ which aims to better assist and treat those living with mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI), including concussions. mTBI may come with lasting effects that can alter a person’s life.  Although a person with a mTBI may appear fine on the outside, many have to pace their day-to-day activities in order to allow the time needed for the brain to properly heal. Much like point tracking used by dieters to monitor food choices, through MyBrainPacer™ App, users can assign values to tasks like driving, grocery shopping, screen use and exercise so they can plan and pace their daily activity.  Read more.

Study shows a decline in Veterans' mental health throughout the pandemic

When it comes to mental health conditions, Veterans are an at-risk population, often having higher rates of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, scientists at Lawson wanted to understand its effects on this already at-risk population. They found that more than half of Canadian Veterans reported a decline in their mental health. Read more.

Growing evidence that PSMA imaging improves prostate cancer detection

Scientists at Lawson are leading the way in using specialized imaging to detect prostate cancer – the fifth leading cause of cancer death in men around the world. Early evidence indicates that PSMA PET scans have changed how prostate cancer is being treated, but more work is underway to understand the impact of those treatment changes. Read more.

Leveraging virtual reality to manage pain in paediatric patients

A study underway through Lawson and Children’s Hospital at LHSC is using virtual reality (VR) to help paediatric patients during painful and distressing procedures. The study is focusing on paediatric patients who need port access. A port is a little reservoir that sits underneath the skin that allows access to blood or medication with the use of a needle. Ports are most commonly used in paediatric cancer patients. Read more.

Team players: FMT and microbiome research could have widespread impact

There is still much to learn about the human microbiome and its role in fighting disease, but ongoing studies at Lawson, including a focus on fecal microbial transplants (FMT), are making strides in harnessing this complex system. FMT is being studied in connection with conditions as varied as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis, HIV, cancer and multiple sclerosis. Read more.

London researchers adapt MRI technology to image salt within the kidneys

Scientists at Lawson have adapted PET/MRI technology to accurately image salt within the kidneys of patients with kidney disease. Imaging salt within the kidneys has never been accurately accomplished in patients with kidney disease, but Dr. McIntyre and his team developed new technology and software that was adaptable to a PET/MRI machine at St. Joseph’s. Read more.

London researchers discover novel method to diagnose long COVID

Published in Molecular Medicine, researchers at Lawson have found that patients with post-COVID-19 condition (long COVID) have unique biomarkers in their blood. The team is now working on developing a first of its kind blood test that could be used to diagnose long COVID. The discovery could also lead to new therapeutics for this condition. Read more.

Largest trial ever done in hemodialysis care examines optimal dialysis temperature

Published in the Lancet findings from a large clinical trial through Lawson, ICES Western and Western University suggest that lowering dialysis temperatures does not lead to improved patient outcomes, despite previous studies suggesting otherwise. Read more.

To learn more about Lawson research studies, please visit our News and Media page

Two researchers at Lawson Health Research Institute have each been awarded $400,000 as part of the Canadian Institute of Health Research’s (CIHR) new Health System Impact Embedded Early Career Researcher Awards. 

The funding will see the researchers apply their skills to find and implement solutions to improve kidney care by focusing on challenges in the health-care system.

Dr. Kyla Naylor and Dr. Danielle Nash will each spend four years working with provincial organizations. Dr. Naylor will work with the Trillium Gift of Life Network -Ontario Health, which is the organization responsible for coordinating provincial organ and tissue donation and transplant services. Dr. Nash will work with the Ontario Renal Network - Ontario Health, which is the organization responsible for managing delivery of advanced kidney services in the province.

“The treatment options for kidney failure is either a kidney transplant or dialysis. The majority of Canadians who have kidney failure receive dialysis,” says Dr. Naylor, who is an Associate Scientist at Lawson and an Adjunct Scientist at ICES. “However, a kidney transplant compared to dialysis can improve a patients’ quality of life, can give on average 10 more years of survival, and when compared to dialysis, can save the health-care system millions of dollars.”

In her research program, Dr. Naylor will begin by developing a kidney transplant measurement framework that will enable continuous performance monitoring and increase equitable access to transplant. 

“The first goal of this project will allow kidney transplant centres and regional renal programs to evaluate their performance and set goals towards improvement,” Dr. Naylor says. “The second is to improve kidney transplant education materials to provide patients with the information to make an informed decision about kidney transplant, and the third is to address geographical barriers to transplantation.”

Dr. Naylor will be using ICES data, which includes administrative health-care data for Ontario’s 14.5 million residents, with the goal of eventually making access to kidney transplantation more equitable for the thousands of Canadians living with kidney failure.

The goal of Dr. Nash’s research program is to use a learning health system model to better understand patient-identified gaps in kidney care across Ontario, and to develop solutions to fill these gaps in collaboration with the Ontario Renal Network and patient partners. 

“Chronic kidney disease is a serious illness that can lead to kidney failure. The best way to prevent kidney failure is to detect chronic kidney disease early and provide optimal care during this time,” explains Dr. Nash, who is also an Epidemiologist and Scientist with London Health Science Centre’s (LHSC) Kidney Dialysis and Transplantation Program. “Since many patients do not have symptoms, it can go unnoticed for a long time. However, it can be detected using simple blood and urine tests.”

Province-wide data from ICES Ontario and the Ontario Renal Network will be used for the research data. 

As part of both studies, the researchers will also be interviewing health-care providers and patients to assess additional barriers to treatment.

“One in four patients do not see a nephrologist in a timely manner and 60 per cent are not receiving adequate time in multidisciplinary kidney care clinics before initiating dialysis,” says Dr. Nash. “Education on treatment options (typically dialysis or a kidney transplant) needs to happen early for patients who are at high risk for kidney failure, so they can make an informed decision about treatment.”

In a historical-first, St. Joseph’s Health Care Foundation and Western University announced two research chairs that are a critical step toward new approaches in imaging research and patient care in London and around the world. The combined value of both innovative new research chairs is $6.5M, which will be endowed in perpetuity to advance imaging research at Western University and Lawson Health Research Institute.

The research chairs have been named after the two scientists who are revolutionizing health care through their groundbreaking imaging research – Drs. Ting-Yim Lee and Frank Prato.

“These Chairs build on the legacy of exceptional imaging leadership across our academic, research and healthcare organizations. They are a critical step towards new approaches in medical technology and hospital-based research that will revolutionize patient care,” says Dr. Gillian Kernaghan, President and CEO, St. Joseph’s Health Care London.

Research teams in the city are using state-of-the-art imaging technology to help clinicians better predict and diagnose illnesses before their unset. And uncover why, and how, illness forms to one day find a cure to some of the most devastating diseases in the world.

“We’ve come to know medical imaging as one of the cornerstones of innovation and discovery at Lawson, and the two new research chairs represent two monumental leaps forward in the field of imaging research,” adds Dr. David Hill, Lawson Scientific Director.

The Ting-Yim Lee Chair in Cardiac Computerized Tomography (CT) Imaging Research has been established through the generosity of Ting-Yim and Maggie Lee and a joint funding collaboration between St. Joseph’s Foundation and Western University.  

Dr. Ting Yim Lee is a scientist and professor of the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, medical physicist at St. Joseph’s Health Care London and a scientist with Lawson’s Imaging program. Through his leadership, The Ting-Yim Lee Chair in Cardiac Computerized Tomography (CT) Imaging Research will transform the way clinicians diagnose, and prevent, severe tissue damage in persons who have experienced a cardiac event.

“Over the past 28 years, St. Joseph’s and Western have created opportunities for me and supported my research endeavor in many ways. I feel this gift is the best way to repay the help that I have received. We are onto something that is worthwhile and successful. By setting up this Chair, there would be a significant person – a clinician-scientist – to lead the next phase of the cardiac CT program. I am really humbled that the institutions see the value in this research and have contributed to guarantee that we have the necessary leader to carry forth this development,” says Dr. Lee.

This Chair represents the next phase of CT imaging research, focused on developing software and new methods that will save people’s lives.

The Dr. Frank Prato Research Chair in Molecular Imaging has been established to further enhance scientific understanding in the specialty of molecular imaging – building upon St. Joseph’s internationally-recognized leadership in imaging excellence.

Dr. Frank Prato is a scientist and professor of the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Chief Medical Physicist at St. Joseph’s Health Care London and the Founder and Program Leader of Lawson’s Imaging Program. Through his visionary leadership, The Dr. Frank Prato Research Chair in Molecular Imaging will improve the way clinicians effectively diagnose disease and actively correct the course of treatments in real time for life-threatening illnesses.

“I am truly honoured to have this Research Chair in Molecular Imaging named after myself. Over the past 40 years I have been privileged to work with outstanding people and incredible resources. Today Medical Imaging has become a cornerstone of care at St Joseph's Hospital. Here at St Joseph's we realize patient stewardship includes research as an essential part of the patient care continuum and that discovery, through research, leads to improved patient care. The holder of this chair will help lead us into the next frontier of medical imaging directly benefiting our local, national and global communities,” says Dr. Prato.

This Chair represents the next phase of precision medicine using molecular imaging to distinguish between varying forms of dementias, cancers, and to detect the early onset of cardiac disease and diabetes before symptoms emerge.

“With this historic announcement, we are marking a new phase of partnership and collaboration between our institutions and celebrating the generosity of donors who have helped create two significant research chairs,” explains Dr. Amit Chakma, President and Vice-Chancellor, Western University. “Together we will ensure that London remains at the forefront of medical imaging research and teaching.”

These Chairs will also have a greater role to play in the local health care community by attracting, and retaining, the research talent needed to innovate the way London’s hospitals and Western tackle the most pressing health issues Canadians face today. 

In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was little known about the virus that was causing the COVID-19 illness. Hospital researchers in London, Ontario, through Lawson Health Research Institute, quickly got to work to study and better understand the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Lawson is the research arm of London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) and St. Joseph’s Health Care London.

“When the pandemic hit, we were well prepared in London to start research studies. We had existing expertise, laboratories and teams through the hospitals, Lawson and Western University that could be mobilized quickly,” explains Dr. Douglas Fraser, Critical Care Physician at LHSC and Scientist at Lawson. “Patients started coming to hospital with COVID-19 and we began research that involved collecting human samples and bringing them to the lab for analysis.”

Dr. Fraser, who is also a Professor at Western’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, led the research team studying the samples from COVID-19 patients in hospital. “We learned very quickly that COVID-19 patients were experiencing a strong inflammatory response to the virus. We looked at the molecules involved because many of these are signaling molecules to the immune system.”

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Dr. Douglas Fraser, Critical Care Physician (LHSC) and Lawson Scientist 

“By studying the molecules, we were able to determine the pathways. This is important because it also points to how we should be targeting our diagnostics and therapeutics,” adds Dr Fraser.

As a hospital research institute, Lawson is uniquely positioned to address the medical questions posed by a new virus. Its Clinical Research Services (LCRS) and Center for Clinical Investigation and Therapeutics (CCIT) teams responded rapidly when researchers initiated COVID-19 studies, including Dr. Fraser’s study to examine the immune response in patients with COVID-19.

“Starting a clinical trial usually takes a certain amount of time to put together, but the pandemic created a perfect storm,” explains Sue Tereschyn, Manager of LCRS at Lawson. “Clinical researchers had to develop studies at a speed they have never seen, and they needed implementation support at the same speed. In Dr. Fraser’s case, we needed samples from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and we were processing samples from COVID-19 patients seven days a week. A high level of skill was needed.”

 

Dr. Fraser and his team soon became the first in the world to understand the immune response and several pathophysiological features of the virus. This work led to a critical understanding of how the virus was impacting patients and potential avenues for therapy.

“It’s important to understand what’s happening in the body when someone has COVID-19 because that gives us information as to why some patients don’t do well and why others recover,” shares Dr. Fraser. “This helps us know who is vulnerable to COVID-19 and how to best offer treatments in the future.”

Read about Dr. Fraser's COVID-19 research: 

• Researchers team up with Diagnostics Biochem Canada to study COVID-19
• Study identifies biomarkers that could be used in a quick, inexpensive COVID-19 blood screening tool
• Researchers unravel two mysteries of COVID-19

Work is also underway to find the unique fingerprint that the COVID-19 virus can leave on the lungs. Hospital researchers at Lawson have developed and tested an artificial neural network for diagnosing COVID-19.

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Dr. Robert Arntfield, Medical Director, Critical Care Trauma Centre (LHSC) and Lawson Researcher 

“The lung ultrasound techniques and the findings of COVID-19 by looking at the lungs didn’t initially look unique when compared to other conditions like pneumonia. Our group wanted to investigate whether or not there were differences that were possibly subvisible,” says Dr. Robert Arntfield, Medical Director of Critical Care Trauma Centre at LHSC and Lawson Researcher. “Through our work, we were able to show that in fact artificial intelligence could outperform a trained clinician in identifying a COVID-19 lung from a similar affected lung that was not due to COVID-19.”

This new technique just scratches the surface of the beneficial use of AI when it comes to medical imaging for patients. “It shone a light on the idea that there were hidden details within all the noise of the image,” adds. Dr. Arntfield. “When you can input that into a machine that is extremely portable the way ultrasounds are, you have a precise diagnostic machine that you can take anywhere a tablet can go.”

• Read more about the team's research findings. 

The team is now expanding on these findings with further research. Lawson has recently approved Dr. Arntfield’s “Project Deep Breath” which aims to go beyond COVID-19 and explore multiple conditions where lung ultrasounds and AI can be paired together.
 

The Bioelectromagnetics and Human Threshold Research Group at Lawson Health Research Institute has an international reputation and expertise on human brain response to time-varying magnetic fields (MFs). This pioneering research has inspired an international collaboration to duplicate Lawson Imaging’s unique experimental expertise in Europe.

The team is now working with EuroMov, a research centre located in France, to duplicate the scientific approach and techniques in a new lab. The goal is to double research capabilities and further stimulate scientific knowledge in this area. 

Fluctuating MF induces electric fields and currents in conductive tissues. Above a certain threshold, these fields and currents will change the physiological electric activity within neuronal tissues. Lawson’s team is currently the only one in the world stimulating participants with power-frequency MF of sufficient intensity to result in acute neurophysiological response. This can involve interferences with visual perception, motor output and other cognitive functions.

“An international synergy between the Bioelectromagnetics and Human Threshold Research Group at Lawson and EuroMov will increase the scope of scientific expertise for both institutions” explains Dr. Legros, Director of Bioelectromagnetics and the Human Threshold Research Group at Lawson Imaging. “Both will have access to a wide range of brain stimulation techniques and imaging modalities.”

Through this new collaboration, researchers are excited to merge their expertise and tackle questions together, opening new avenues for original research ideas and projects. This new intercontinental synergy also increases the scope of options for academic funding and international training programs for students.

Furthermore, there is great potential for reinforcing and extending the group’s industry-partnered supporting program, which already associates industry sponsors (such as Hydro-Québec, Électricité De France, Réseau de Transport d’Électricité, NationalGrid/Energy Network Association, Electric Power Research Institute) under an international consortium: the Utilities Threshold Initiative Consortium (UTIC).  

The growing network of international scientists working in this field assist international regulation agencies, governments and industries to better understand the impact of electromagnetic exposure on brain activity and physical behaviour. Knowing the thresholds for human responses allows these institutions to adjust their recommendations and policies for when exposures could become unsafe for the public and workers.

The potential applications in research, industry and health care are vast, including the world of video gaming and virtual reality!

“We are excited to see discovered effects and mechanisms translated towards therapeutic applications to the benefit of patients,” says Dr. Legros. “For example, we could improve neuromodulation and neurostimulation technologies to better address movement disorders such as in Parkinson’s Disease. In another application, knowledge of the vestibular responses to stimulation may help to manage symptoms such as motion sickness.”

EuroMov is a university-based European centre for research and innovation in the science of movement. Conducting both fundamental and clinical research, it proposes innovative technological solutions allowing the capture, simulation, learning and rehabilitation of movement. EuroMov contributes to the creation of innovative starts ups and businesses in the field of health, performance, sport, human factors, and rehabilitation.

Dr. Legros is also an Associate Professor in the Departments of Medical Biophysics, Medical Imaging and Kinesiology at Western University’s School of Kinesiology, and an Associate Scientist at EuroMov.

Find out more about his research: 

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Above: Members of the Bioelectromagnetics and Human Threshold Research Group at Lawson.

From left to right, bottom: Shirin Davarpanah Jazi, Postdoctoral Scholar; Alicia Allen, Masters Candidate; Cadence Maureen Baker, Masters Candidate.

From left to right, top:  Michael Corbacio, RA/Lab Manager); Dr. Alexandre Legros, Principal Investigator and group leader; Sebastien Villard, Postdoctoral Scholar.

Missing from the photo: Nicolas Bouisset, PhD Candidate; Lynn Keenliside; Manager Technical Services. 

Ashmeet Gill had her first PET/CT scan shortly after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer of the body’s germ-fighting immune system. She was nervous. Claustrophobia is an issue for the young Stratford resident and the scan, necessary to determine if the cancer had spread beyond the lymph nodes in her neck, would take 34 to 45 minutes, she was told.

Wrapped in a sheet and tucked inside the tube of the PET/CT at St. Joseph’s Health Care London (St. Joseph’s), Ashmeet, then 24, steeled herself to remain calm. But near the end of the scan, a sense of panic set in.

“It was not pleasant but I endured it. I made it through.”

Ashmeet’s next PET/CT scan would be six months later, after six cycles of chemotherapy, to determine if the treatment had worked. She was terrified of another panic episode. By then, however, St. Joseph’s had a brand-new PET/CT – Canada’s first, next generation, state-of-the-art Omni Legend PET/CT from GE HealthCare.

This time, Ashmeet’s scan took “barely 15 minutes or so,” she recalled.

“I thought, seriously? I couldn’t believe I was done. I was so happy.”

With the very first patients scanned with St. Joseph’s new PET/CT machine, it was obvious the breakthrough technology was living up to high expectations.

The machine is fast – decreasing the time it took for a scan from about 45 minutes on the older system to less than 14 – head to toe. Patients are exposed to less radiation, and the ability to precisely detect disease and tiny abnormalities is outstanding.

“This is what we have been waiting for,” says Ting-Yim Lee, a pioneer in the use of machines like PET/CT to gather new, vital information about diseases. “St. Joseph’s new Omni Legend by GE HealthCare is answering the call for patients, clinicians and researchers alike.”

PET/CT is the medical ace in imaging for the assessment and treatment monitoring of cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, and metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. At St. Joseph’s, the possibilities of this technology took a giant leap forward in August 2023, thanks in part to the generosity of donors and a $1 million contribution from St. Joseph’s Health Care Foundation. With the arrival of the new system, St. Joseph’s is set to become Canada’s first national GE HealthCare centre of excellence in molecular imaging and theranostics. This two-pronged approach to diagnosing and treating cancers and other diseases merges molecular imaging with the use of radiopharmaceuticals to identify the location and extent of diseased tissues and selectively destroy the abnormal cells.

“The speed at which we can now do exams means significantly improved comfort for patients while the exceptional image quality changes the game in the hunt for cancerous lesions,” explains Ting, Director of PET/CT Research at Lawson Health Research Institute (Lawson) and medical physicist at St. Joseph’s Hospital.

“For young adults undergoing repeat PET/CT exams due to their medical conditions, managing the radiation dose is critical,” explains Dr. Narinder Paul, Lawson scientist and Chief, Medical Imaging, at St. Joseph’s. “These individuals already face an elevated life-time risk of developing cancer from radiation, and this risk further increases with additional exposures.”

For older adults, the time it takes for the examination is also of great concern. Lying still for long periods can be a hardship due to pain from bone metastases or other conditions, and is a challenge for those who have dementia, are claustrophobic or experiencing other issues, adds Dr. Paul.

“Reducing the exam time is a huge improvement in the patient experience for these individuals.”

While patients hail the new PET/CT experience, clinicians and scientists are raving about the machine’s imaging prowess. The advanced AI-driven image formation technology now empowers the precise detection of cancer within lymph nodes and other anatomical structures, “achieving remarkable accuracy even for very small lesions,” says Dr. Paul.

“The advantages we have seen so far are already impressive but what’s on the horizon in research and care – what we will be able to study and do – is even more exciting,” says Ting.

In particular, the new PET/CT is expected to be the catalyst for ground-breaking clinical research for patients facing breast cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, prostate cancer, epilepsy and obesity. Scientific exploration in these areas is currently being planned at St. Joseph’s that will pave the way for novel treatments, new, non-invasive ways to identify a patient’s risk of disease, the potential to clearly and painlessly view how treatment is working, and the ability to uncover the tiniest abnormalities at play when it comes to diseases and conditions.

Lung cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Canada. While the standard treatment for patients with early-stage lung cancer is surgery, up to half of these patients may develop a recurrence after their treatment. 

Jaryd Christie is a Master’s candidate working with Lawson Scientist, Dr. Sarah Mattonen. Together, they are working to develop a new software that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to identify which patients are likely to have recurring cancer. 

Currently, basic information like the size of the tumour is extracted from medical images such as a computed tomography (CT) scan to determine a patient’s cancer stage and prognosis. With the new technology, multiple sources of information about the patient will be extracted and used to increase accuracy for determining likelihood of recurrence. 

Christie is looking to integrate multi-modal imaging, including CT and positron emission tomography (PET) with a patient’s clinical, pathological and genomic information to build the software. The AI software will find patterns from the data that is extracted and identify imaging features that are associated with recurrence after treatment. 

The goal of this research is to improve the ability to identify which patients are likely to be cured. By being able to extract and combine additional information, physicians could provide aggressive treatment options for patients who need it. This would provide lung cancer patients with personalized treatments that could improve their outcomes. 

“We also want to look not only at the tumour, but other places like bone marrow and non-cancerous areas in the lung, to see if these additional areas can provide information on disease progression and prognosis,” says Christie, who is completing his Master’s degree in the Department of Medical Biophysics at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at Western University. “We hope that by combining these different sources of information, we can obtain better disease characterization to more accurately determine if a patient will be cured.” 

Christie received a Lawson Internal Research Fund (IRF) Studentship to conduct this research, which will be supervised by Dr. Mattonen.

“Lawson’s IRF is such an important funding opportunity for new investigators. This studentship allows me to support a student while building my research program,” adds Dr. Mattonen. “These funds will allow us to obtain preliminary data that we can use to apply for external funding.”