Quantitative Imaging Core

NIH RePORTER · NIH · P30 · $1 · view on reporter.nih.gov ↗

Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY QUANTITATIVE IMAGING CORE The overarching goal of the Quantitative Imaging Core (QIC), formerly the Image Response Assessment Team (IRAT), is to provide one-stop expertise in standardized medical imaging and reproducible image biomarker development from the analysis of radiologic and digital pathology images collected in clinical and preclinical studies. QIC provides expertise and tools for radiologic tumor response assessment measurement and reporting, imaging data management, study coordination, and standard and advanced image processing operations, including multispectral analysis, radiomics and pathomics. QIC also provides expertise in custom quantitative image algorithm development and in design of radiologic imaging protocols for clinical studies. Spanning multiple imaging scales and modalities, QIC offers quantitative analysis of image data acquired by live-cell microscopy, digital pathology, small animal imaging, and clinical imaging. Data extracted from images are provided to Members in formats suitable for downstream bioinformatics, biostatistics, and machine learning analyses. QIC activities towards its goals are organized along three Specific Aims: Aim 1: To provide high reliability and fast turnaround times for standard radiologic tumor response assessment metrics. Aim 2: To improve clinical and preclinical research studies at Moffitt, by providing turnkey imaging biomarker services from quantitative imaging, radiomics and pathomics analyses. Aim 3: To educate scientists and clinicians on experimental design elements required for the reproducible acquisition and analysis of QI data in clinical and preclinical studies. Customizable algorithms developed by QIC allow Members to pursue unique hypotheses characterizing and quantifying cancer progression, evolution and response to therapy. QIC services enable investigators to unlock information contained in radiologic and digital pathology images collected in clinical, translational and pre-clinical studies. Since 2016, QIC usage has increased by 29% and has contributed to 87 publications (25 high impact), and 600 clinical protocols, representing 4,668 unique patients. QIC increased staffing since 2016 and currently operates at 68% usage capacity. In FY20, QIC supported 60 Members across all five Programs (CBE 14%, CE 5%, MM 66%, HOB 1%, IO 14%), with 64% of those Members holding peer review funding. This represented 81% of all QIC usage. Future priorities of the QIC are to leverage Moffitt’s enterprise-scale, cloud-based analytics platforms and to implement newly developed digital pathology and multiplex immunohistochemistry image processing modules to support analyses of tumor sections. Using commercial image processing tools, QIC will also enhance training for Members, trainees, and staff.

Key facts

NIH application ID
10558784
Project number
5P30CA076292-25
Recipient
H. LEE MOFFITT CANCER CTR & RES INST
Principal Investigator
Natarajan Raghunand
Activity code
P30
Funding institute
NIH
Fiscal year
2023
Award amount
$1
Award type
5
Project period
1998-02-18 → 2027-01-31