The capacity to undertake research into dementia, mental illness, brain injury (e.g., stroke), and cancer in South-East Queensland has been greatly enhanced through the expanded human imaging capabilities of the National Imaging Facility (NIF).

The NIF has formally expanded its Queensland Node, allowing for the translation of new imaging approaches into the clinical space.

The expansion brings together the capabilities of the Herston Imaging Research Facility (HIRF), based at Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital’s Herston Precinct and the University of Queensland’s Centre for Advanced Imaging (CAI) as a powerful joint node in Queensland.

The NIF Queensland Node Director, Prof Markus Barth, says, “the extension of the NIF Queensland Node will increase the medical imaging capabilities and improve translation from pre-clinical imaging to patient populations.”

HIRF is a research facility, primely positioned to conduct imaging research and clinical trials in patient populations.

Prof Michael O’Sullivan, Director of HIRF, adds, “Most of all, this (expansion) is excellent news for patients. Part of NIF’s mission is to move advanced imaging closer to the translational interface. At HIRF, our focus is to use advanced imaging to help tackle major health challenges that we find in our local population.”

HIRF was established as an alliance between Metro North Hospital and Health Services, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Queensland University of Technology, and the University of Queensland.

HIRF contributes three cutting-edge research scanners, based at a hospital site, to the NIF network.

This expansion dramatically increases the capacity of Queensland’s clinical research portfolio through multimodal imaging – magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), and computed tomography (CT) scanning modalities.

Its position on Herston Campus provides not only access to large patient cohorts but certified radiochemistry facilities for a broad range of PET radiotracers.

Prof Graham Galloway, NIF CEO, says, “NIF commends the Queensland Node for this collaborative partnership of campuses across multiple institutions to deliver a comprehensive and coordinated imaging capability to researchers, not only in Queensland, but nationally and internationally.”

For more information about the NIF, please contact:

NIF CEO, Prof Graham Galloway – g.galloway@uq.edu.au

NIF Engagement Manager, Dr Noni Creasey – r.creasey@uq.edu.au

NIF would like to thank the Queensland Government for their support at the Queensland Node.