About the project
This project will build on the team's expertise in advanced imaging, image-based modeling, and dosimetry to design and manufacture a dosimetry phantom of the lumbar spine that accurately mimics the vertebral bodies. Join our interdisciplinary team and help develop new and innovative ways to improve radioimmunotherapy dosimetry.
Radioimmunotherapy is a vital treatment for bone cancers, with around 2,000 patients in the UK receiving bone marrow transplants every year. This process involves using radioactive antibodies to target and destroy unhealthy bone marrow, providing a safer alternative to total body irradiation.
However, current dosimetry methods - the process of applying conversion factors on the SPECT/CT images to calculate radioactivity concentration within the patient's body - lack precision due to oversimplified phantoms that cannot accurately replicate the complex anatomy of human tissues. This leads to a conservative approach in prescribing radioactivity which can lead to patients receiving inadequate treatment for bone marrow ablation.
You will use high-resolution Computed micro-Tomography and clinical CT datasets to create detailed models of human vertebrae. These models will be refined to account for population variability and then used to develop 3D-printed, anatomically realistic structures. We will use Monte Carlo simulations to establish a ground truth for dosimetry calibration with these new phantoms.
Southampton and the National Physical Laboratory. We will also investigate the phantom's performance in Total Body PET imaging for post-therapy verification, an area where conventional PET technology has limitations.
By comparing the new phantom's accuracy with the current clinical standard, we aim to significantly enhance dosimetry accuracy, leading to safer and more effective treatments. Improved standardisation of scanner calibrations across multiple centres will further reduce inaccuracies and support future dose escalation studies.
You will develop transferable skills in advanced imaging, 3D modeling, and biomedical research. You will be part of a multidisciplinary team based in the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, supported by world-class infrastructure and expertise, and working closely with the μ-VIS X-ray Imaging Centre and the Biomedical Imaging Unit.
This project has the following external supervisors, in addition to the University of Southampton's supervisory team:
- Dr. Frederick Wilson from Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited
- Dr. Andrew Fenwick from the National Physical Laboratory
- Dr. Juliana Maynard from the Medical Research Council's National PET Imaging Platform
