Medical Imaging Computing: From Data to Understanding

The development of new technologies that acquire large amounts of complex data is accelerating throughout medicine. Corresponding breakthroughs in accessible computation and algorithm development have made image analysis an indispensable tool for medical research and clinical practice. For example, image analysis enables the data acquired using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and functional magnetic resonance (fMRI) to reveal subject-specific structure and function of the brain.

The emerging field of medical image computing requires strong, interdisciplinary teams of researchers, physicians, and engineers. Building such teams is a challenge but ultimately rewarding process. The Surgical Planning Lab at Brigham and Women's Hospital was founded in 1990 to enable research in image computation within the hospital context. Today, the SPL is the hub of the National Alliance for Medical Image Computing, a national effort with international impact across biomedicine and, increasingly, other fields of science. NAMIC drives scientific and engineering innovation through interdisciplinary collaboration, application-driven development, a well-designed hardware and software infrastructure, and an open-source approach to dissemination and community building.

This presentation will describe how research ideas evolve into useful medical and scientific tools within the SPL and NAMIC environments.