Grant: Team Grant - Clinical Imaging

The CIHR Team in Synchrotron Medical Imaging will build on existing strengths in biomedical imaging at the Canadian Light Source (Saskatoon, Canada). The team links world-class experts in synchrotron imaging and magnetic resonance imaging to stroke researchers and clinicians. These researchers will work together to develop new ways to visualize and treat brain injury from stroke. Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability for Canadians. Brain injury from a stroke can take several days to months to develop. Currently, there are no therapeutic approaches that address this treatment window. In addition, there are several other types of insults (cardiac arrest, hypoxia, and trauma) that result in similar brain injury cascades. Developing a comprehensive understanding of the damage that occurs post-injury will provide an opportunity to assess the impact of treatments that arrest and reverse brain damage. The CIHR Team in Synchrotron Medical Imaging will: - Apply advanced imaging techniques to develop an understanding of how different therapies, including stem cell treatments, can be applied or improved; - Use new technology to visualize brain damage as it happens; - Assess imaging techniques that use endogenous biomarkers to map brain damage, building the basis for non-invasive clinical applications; - Compare new technologies for non-invasive pre-stroke preventative screening; - Evaluate the effect of neuroprotective treatments in animal models; and - Work towards the development of next generation computed tomography technology.