The Oxford Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (OXACT) Programme
The group is using artificial intellience and machine learning approaches to analyse radiotranscriptomic signatures that lead to the develpment of new imaging biomarkers. A recent example is that of the develpment of Fat Attenuation Index (FAI), a new biomarker that detects inflammation in the human coronary arteries by analysing the changes of weighed CT attenuation of perivascular adipose tissue (Science Transl Med 2017). FAI has striking predictive value for cardiac mortality and acute coronary events, as demonstrated in a large prospective clinical study (CRISP-CT) organised together with Erlangen University (Germany) and Cleveland Clinic (USA) (Lancet 2018). Since 2015, the group runs the Oxford Academic cardiovascular Computed Tomography (OXACT) programme, in partnership with the Manor Hospital, supporting the use of state-of-the-art cardiovascular CT imaging by groups within the University of Oxford. Within the group, we run the OXACT Core Lab, peforming advanced analysis of cardiovascular CT images with specific focus on analysis of coronary plaques and perivascular adipose tissue. The OXACT Core Lab provides advanced image analysis in support of academic and commercial studies, applying novel and established image analysis tools in coronary CT angiography.
Since 2015, the group runs the Oxford Cardiovascular Computed Tomography Programme, in partnership with the Manor Hospital and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, supporting the use of state-of-the-art cardiovascular CT imaging by groups within the University of Oxford. In collaboration with the Institute of Biomedical Engineering (IBME), we are currently developing new CT-based imaging applications that will improve the efficiency of CT scanning and we are generating new imaging biomarkers that will improve cardiovascular risk stratification (Fig. 6). In this context, the group also uses pre-clinical micro-CT as a tool to develop new imaging applications, translatable into clinical settings.
Fig. 6: The Oxford Academic Cardiovascular CT Programme: We use cardiovascular computed tomography to phenotype patients with a wide range of cardiovascular diseases. We participate in various clinical studies, supporting research within the partnership of the University of Oxford and the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. We also participate in multicentre clinical studies and we collaborate closely with various institutions in UK and abroad.
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