King’s College London’s (KCL) Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences (BMEIS) and McMaster University have partnered to advance nuclear medicine research and education.
The collaboration will support the discovery and development of new health interventions and aim to deliver unique learning opportunities for students and professionals in the field of nuclear medicine.
Leveraging both partners’ world-leading nuclear research facilities and expertise to develop novel production methods for radionuclides and radiopharmaceuticals, researchers in the UK and Canada will collaborate and participate in joint training opportunities and skills-building workshops.
KCL’s BMEIS works to train the next generation of biomedical engineers, imaging scientists and radiochemists and collaborates with researchers, clinicians and industry.
The institution provides access to KCL’s department of imaging chemistry and biology, the Clyclotron and Radiochemistry Laboratory, the PET Centre and the Positron Emitting Radiopharmaceutical Laboratory, all located at St Thomas’ Hospital.
As a world-leading supplier of medical isotopes, McMaster University comprises several nuclear research facilities, such as the McMaster Nuclear Reactor and a high-level laboratory facility, for scientists and students to use for radioisotope processing, radiotracer production, radiopharmaceutical development and radiation biology research.
With a focus on cyclotron targetry development and radionuclide production, including the optimised production of 94Tc for PET scans, researchers and students will use KCL’s CARL research facility, along with McMaster’s nuclear facilities, for designing, machining and optimising solid and liquid targets for radionuclide production. This work can then be translated to deliver clinical trials.
“There is an increasing global need for new radiopharmaceuticals and a shortage of skilled scientists,” said professor Steve Archibald, head of the department for imaging chemistry and biology, KCL.
He continued: “KCL’s… nuclear medicine research, with collaborative groups of scientists and clinicians,… complements the expert scientists and capabilities at McMaster.”
Karin Stephenson, director, nuclear research and education support, McMaster University, commented: “Together, we will use our expertise and infrastructure to develop new radiation-based diagnostic and therapeutic technologies and provide training to the next generation of nuclear scientists in Canada and the UK.”
