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1 Nov 2005 15:51:32
The Centre for Computer Graphics and Visualisation (CCGV) at the University of Luton has won £1m worth of funding from the European Commission to develop computer technology that will revolutionise the way health professionals from around the world undertake their work.
The cash-boost will fund three high-profile ‘IT for Health’ projects including the Strategy Towards the Euro Physiome (STEP) programme, which the University will co-ordinate; other partners include Oxford University, University College London and the French National Research Centre.
Gordon Clapworthy, Director of the Institute for Research in Applicable Computing at the University said: “Securing these projects in such a competitive environment is a great achievement for the University and shows the importance of the work we have carried out to date. It’s particularly pleasing that we have been selected to co-ordinate STEP with such a distinguished set of partners.”
The three new projects relate closely to the Virtual Physiological Human (VPH) - a new initiative being overseen by the European Commission. Gordon, who is also Head of the CCGV, explained: “The VPH will develop a single model of the human form, from the genome to the cell, through to the organs, bones, muscles and skin.
“It is extremely ambitious and will take many years to complete but will ultimately provide huge advances in medical research and radically change patient care.”
As well as co-ordinating STEP, the team will work on creating an Internet-based digital library that will give researchers around the world access to a wide range of resources (held in different locations), which Gordon believes will make an enormous difference to their work.
“This project will provide researchers with intelligent tools and high-speed access to data to ensure they achieve results quickly. This will help to make medical advances available to patients in a much shorter timescale,” he said.
The final project, which will involve 34 partners from around the world, will focus on cerebral aneurisms, which can lead to brain haemorrhages. Researchers will look at all aspects of the condition, put together an integrated model of the processes that lead to aneurisms, and develop methods of prevention and treatment.
Vice Chancellor, Professor Les Ebdon, said: “This is a phenomenal achievement for Gordon and his team. They have spent many years working with partners in Europe and around the world, and now their expertise has been recognised by the European Commission.
“Our continued involvement in these projects means that patient care around the world will directly benefit from this cutting-edge research. This of course will have huge implications for the students in this department.”
Researchers in the CCGV have worked on more than a dozen international projects over the last nine years. The team has worked closely with Italian bio-engineers and Belgian anatomists to develop new software to analyse medical data to improve patient care. They have also created a new framework that enables medical software to be produced at a faster rate than before.
The University is set to appoint three new research fellows to oversee the latest projects, which get under way in early 2006. To find out more about the Institute for Research in Applicable Computing and the Department of Computing and Information Systems, call 0800 389 6633 or visit www.luton.ac.uk.
Latest news» 2005» Nov» Luton Selected to Lead £1m EU Health Research
