FUNDING

The NCRI PET Research Network is funded by the following organisations:

Cancer Research UK
Department of Health
Medical Research Council
Northern Ireland Research and Development Office
Scottish Executive – Chief Scientist Office
Wales Office of Research and Development

UK PET RESEARCH STEERING COMMITTEE

Oversight of the initiative is provided by the UK PET Research Steering Committee.

Function

• To maintain an overview of PET research in the UK and more generally
• To set a broad strategy within which the main programmes of work in the UK are taken forward
• To use horizon scanning (and where appropriate foresight) methods to identify likely future trends that might influence current decisions

Membership

The secretariat function for the committee is provided by This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

NCRI PET RESEARCH NETWORK LEADS

The executive function of the committee is provided by a team comprising:

• Prof Paul Marsden, Scientific Director, PET Imaging Centre, Guy's, King's & St Thomas' School of Medicine, KCL
• Prof Ken Miles, Honorary Professor of Imaging, Brighton & Sussex Medical School
• Prof Fiona Gilbert, Roland Sutton Chair of Radiology, Head of Radiology Department, Aberdeen

To reflect the interface that this team provides with the scientific and medical communities and the NHS, the executive team has become known as the NCRI PET Research Network, with the 3 leads described as Network Leads.


Function

• To provide intelligence about developments, needs, opportunities and obstacles and to implement solutions
• To communicate and interact with participants in the wider PET network and other stakeholders
• To serve as a catalyst for action on priority research themes

Workstreams

Three workstreams, each led by one of the PET Research Network Leads have been set up. Co-ordination across the workstreams is provided by Dr Sabine Regel.
Enquiries should in the first instance be directed to the network co-ordinator:

Sabine Regel
PET Research Network Coordinator
Division of Imaging Sciences
King's College London
4th Floor, Lambeth Wing
St Thomas' Hospital
London SE1 7EH
UK

E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

WORKSTREAM 1 - TRIALS NETWORK AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT

Network Lead is Prof Paul Marsden, supported by Lucy Pike.


Function

• To establish a network for performing high quality clinical trials using PET
• To increase the availability of tracers
• To promote technology development and research needs

Short Biography

Paul Marsden is the Scientific Director of the Guy’s & St Thomas PET Imaging Centre. He has been involved in PET imaging for most of his career and has worked in all aspects of the field including instrumentation and data analysis, the development and evaluation of new tracers, and clinical and research applications. He has a degree in physics and did a PhD in PET imaging at the Institute of Cancer Research, University of London. His research interests include the development of combined PET and MRI imaging systems, data acquisition and analysis methods for clinical and research PET studies, and applications of PET in cancer research. Much of this work is in collaboration with other clinical researchers in oncology, radiotherapy, cardiology and neuropsychiatry, and is funded from a wide range of sources including EU, Wellcome Trust, EPSRC, DOH. Paul is familiar with the complex operational and regulatory aspects of PET imaging and has been involved in the establishment and operation of the PET clinical trials network at St Thomas’.

As part of the PET Centre Paul Marsden provides consultancy to and receives project support from Ixico Ltd (EPSRC CASE award).

WORKSTREAM 2 - LATE PHASE TRIALS

Network Lead is Prof Ken Miles, supported by Prof Mike Peters and Dr Hector Rojas.


Function

• To identify areas of intervention to increase research use of PET in phase III oncology clinical trials
• To streamline the funding of PET research in the NHS To perform a strategic analysis of the value of PET to the NHS
• To disseminate information and advice on the potential roles and protocols for PET
• To provide information and stimulate new research on non-trial methods for PET evaluation
• To conduct research into the patient perspective of PET

Short Biography

Ken Miles is Honorary Professor of Imaging at Brighton and Sussex Medical School and Honorary Consultant in Radiology and Nuclear Medicine at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton. Currently he is providing Clinical Imaging services to Queensland Diagnostic Imaging including Holy Spirit Northside and St Andrew's hospitals, Brisbane, Australia. Since joining the medical school in 2003, Ken has established a Clinical Imaging Sciences Centre comprising PET-CT and MRI imaging systems for research, clinical practice and teaching. His research interests focus on functional and molecular imaging, especially in cancer. He conducts a research programme which focuses on imaging the functional status of the tumour microvasculature and its relationship to glucose metabolism. Having led the establishment of Positron Emission Tomography centres in the UK and Australia, Ken is keen to use his dual-training in radiology and nuclear medicine to maximise the benefits of the Computed Tomography component of integrated PET-CT systems.

Ken Miles has previously worked as external consultant to AstraZeneca advising on imaging trial design. He is currently a member of the InHealth PET-CT advisory board.

WORKSTREAM 3 - STIMULATING EARLY PHASE RESEARCH

Network Lead is Prof Fiona Gilbert, supported by Dr Ian Fleming.


Function

• To stimulate early phase PET research
• To understand and progress the regulatory environment affecting PET research

Short Biography

Fiona Gilbert is a consultant radiologist and Head of the Aberdeen Biomedical Imaging Centre at the University of Aberdeen. She is an experienced clinical trials specialist particularly in technology assessment. Her clinical interests include all aspects of breast imaging and musculoskeletal imaging, her research interests focus on imaging biomarkers in cancer and their application to clinical practice. Her work is funded by various sources with grant income from the Medical Research Council, EPSRC, Health Technology Assessment programme and Cancer Research UK. Fiona is chair of the Scottish PET research Group and the Royal College of Radiologists Breast Group. She is also a member of the NCRI breast clinical studies group and translational medicine group.