QIPCM is a supporter and founding member of the Molecular Imaging and Theranostics Program. The Molecular Imaging and Theranostics Program aims to advance the development and translation of molecular imaging and therapeutic techniques and uses advanced probes that interact with a patient’s biology to provide insight into specific diseases processes.
Theranostics is an emerging branch in cancer treatment that uses a single agent for both diagnosis and therapy. Theranostics can seek out cancer, reveal it under medical imaging and deliver treatment payloads locally at the cancer site. Combining these functions empowers the personalization of cancer medicine, such that treatments can be highly targeted and individualized. Treatments become intimately linked to imaging: the therapeutic effects can be directly monitored, and treatment plans can be adjusted immediately to maximize the benefits of treatment to patients.
At the University Health Network our multidisciplinary team of oncologists, radiologists, scientists and other research staff work together to translate new theranostic agents from the lab to the clinic.
Four key infrastructure pillars support the advancement of MI and Theranostics at University Health Network. These pillars are available to support both academics and industry.
An imaging core lab providing image analysis, theranostic dosimetry, scanner qualifications and a centralized collaboration platform, offering the informatics infrastructure needed by researchers to share data among internal and external teams in a secure and regulatory compliant fashion.
Spatio-Temporal Targeting and Amplification of Radiation Response
The STTARR Innovation Centre brings together products, services, and technologies to accelerate cutting-edge and multidisciplinary research in oncology, cardiology, metabolic diseases, and many other fields.
Flexible to the needs of our academic and industry clients, STTARR staff provides full support, from study conception to completion, including study design, budgeting, federal and provincial regulatory compliance, histopathology services, and advanced data analysis.
The UHNRC provides radiopharmaceuticals for the investigational and commercial use from a facility operating in accordance with GMP regulations (Drug Establishment Licence).
Radiopharmaceuticals are part of an advanced imaging technology that uses medical isotopes to assess and treat patients at a cellular level. Using imaging radiopharmaceuticals, physicians can detect diseases earlier and more accurately monitor the effectiveness of treatments. Targeted therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals can be used to provide personalized treatment of cancers.
We proudly oversees the operations and impact of research involving medical imaging and is centrally based out of the University Health Network.
We are one of Canada’s largest academic medical imaging departments.
