about miirc@m

An innovative, exciting initiative at McMaster University has came to life, bringing Medical Imaging together with a range of disciplines such as Medicine, Medical Physics, Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science, e-Health, Nuclear Medicine, Statistics, and Psychology.

The Medical Imaging Informatics Research Centre at McMaster University (MIIRC@M) is the result of efforts of the radiologists at Hamilton Health Sciences, and the researchers and scientists at McMaster University and the University of Waterloo, along with other prestigious Canadian and International universities.

Vision

To foster research radiology including artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, and seamless integration of medical images in the daily world of healthcare professionals.

Mission

To establish MIIRC@M as leaders in radiology innovation and research.

Goals & Objectives

  1. MIIRC@M is a research arm of the Department of Radiology, and strives to provide support to faculty, residents and fellows in the following ways:
    • Help in identifying and building research projects
    • Writing research proposals
    • Structure budgets and help identifying sources of funding
    • Drive the Principal Investigator (PI) through REB process and identify the appropriate path
    • Interact and facilitate relations with the McMaster Industry Liaison Office (MILO)
    • Facilitate access to statistical support
    • Track departmental research projects and monitor the use of funds
    • Offer technical infrastructure to radiologists, engineers, students and any researcher at McMaster University
  2. Identify specific projects related to the use of imaging informatics and information technology in medical imaging:
    • Build a team of experts from various fields and backgrounds
    • Identify industry and government partners
    • Write and submit grants
  3. The existing and future research projects at MIIRC@M are in five major areas:
    1. Imaging Informatics and Information Technology
      1. Intelligent Content Delivery
      2. Foreign Exam Management
      3. Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence
    2. Population Health and Imaging Safety and Appropriateness
      1. Radiation Exposure Monitoring Phase 1
      2. Radiation Exposure Monitoring Phase 2
      3. Canada Safe Imaging
    3. Validation of Technology
      1. Image Compression
      2. Dual Energy
      3. Triple Energy
      4. Tomosynthesis
      5. Ultrasound/CT-MR fusion and registration
    4. Advanced Image Processing
      1. Interactive Modelling and Evaluation of Tumour Growth
      2. Medical Content Based Image Retrieval
    5. Nanotechnology
      1. Endovascular intervention with bioabsorbable stents
      2. Image guided tumor ablation
      3. Venous stenosis
      4. Islet cell transplantation
      5. Endovascular treatment of venous thrombus