Centres for Doctoral Training

Next-Generation Cardiac CT: Photon-Counting and Phase-Contrast X-ray Imaging for Coronary Plaque Characterization

Supervisors: 

Alessandro Perelli, MVLS, School of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Health 

Richard Bates, Collage of Science & Engineering, School of Physics and Astronomy 

PHD Project Summary:

This PhD project will develop next-generation CT imaging methods for improved diagnosis of cardiovascular disease. Conventional CT has limitations in identifying subtle features of coronary artery disease, particularly under the challenging conditions of heart motion.

The project will explore advanced photon-counting CT technology, which provides more detailed information than standard CT, and investigate emerging phase-sensitive imaging methods that may enhance soft tissue contrast. A key focus will be imaging under realistic cardiac motion using dynamic phantoms and state of the art detector systems.

The student will combine experimental work with computational modelling and machine learning to reconstruct high-quality images and extract quantitative information related to tissue composition. The project will also investigate new imaging markers that could improve the characterisation of coronary plaque and heart tissue.

This interdisciplinary project spans physics, engineering, and biomedical imaging, offering training in cutting-edge technologies with potential applications in improving cardiovascular diagnosis.