A new light on the brain: Developing and applying novel clinically-relevant brain waste clearance imaging methods
Supervisors:
Dr Michael Stringer, School of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Health
Prof Terry Quinn, School of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Health
Prof Daniele Faccio, School of Physics & Astronomy
Summary:
Small vessel disease (SVD) damages small blood vessels in the brain. Despite increasing awareness of the role of SVD in causing neurovascular diseases, including strokes (c.20%) and dementia (c.45%), the causes remain poorly understood. While impaired clearance of harmful brain waste products is thought to be a key mechanism, most existing assessment methods are highly invasive and depend on expensive, specialised and static equipment with very limited availability, especially in the Global South. Less invasive and more portable methods to assess brain waste clearance, particularly under different conditions, would facilitate efforts to understand how brain waste contributes to neurodegenerative diseases. In this project, we will develop and use state-of-the-art imaging method (ultra-high field MRI and photonic imaging) to assess brain waste clearance in a post-stroke cohort. We will:
• compare MR and photonic imaging measures of brain waste clearance
• assess whether SVD severity associates with poorer brain waste clearance
• evaluate how blood-CSF coupling differs with increasing SVD severity
In addition to helping better understand these challenging clinical questions, this project will help aid future diagnostics by advancing next generation diagnostic imaging methods to assess brain waste clearance. The successful student will gain substantial experience with state-of-the-art precision imaging and analysis methods.