At the Royal Brompton Hospital CORDA research fellow Dr Chiara Bucciarelli-Ducci is studying the measurement of myocardial perfusion.
Dr Bucciarelli-Ducci is examining the role of myocardial perfusion in groups of patients, such as young women, where cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) has particular advantages over conventional techniques using injectable radiation.
The aim of this research is to start bringing CMR perfusion imaging into clinical practice for selected groups of patients within two years. This would greatly reduce the radiation burden (and the risk of cancer) for patients.
The role of perfusion CMR will also be examined using the new scanner in the Biomedical Research Unit at Royal Brompton, as significant improvements in image quality are anticipated with ultrafast imaging.