Lakehead University graduate students will have the chance to work alongside radiologists to develop new medical imaging detectors through a new research project. National research organization, Mitacs, has provided a $400,000 grant to fund the two-year project which will give seven students an internship with the Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute.
This project is an integral part of our training of graduate students and post-doctorate fellows and also undergraduate students in medical imaging detector technologies,” said Alla Reznik, physics professor at the university.
“This is one of our research trends at Lakehead University and we would like our trainees to gain professional skills which are needed for their future careers and a smooth entry into the workforce,” said Reznik. Students will run research projects on several different medical imaging technologies like MRIs, positron emission mammography and other x-ray imaging to develop and commercialize methods to improve disease detection and reduce the dose of radiation required with some clinical procedures.
They will work collaboratively with five radiologists at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.
“This will expose students to real world problems,” said Reznik, adding it will also expose them to clinical problems so they can understand what’s needed to improve medical imaging in clinical practice. The value of these internships is high, said Reznik, as the university can train students in technical aspects, but the real world experience is vital.
Mitacs business development director Christine Macdonald said the not-for-profit organization works with professors, industry partners and other organizations to set up collaborative research projects. “We’re really excited to be here, to have this project go forward,” she said.
Macdonald said that Mitacs funds projects in every discipline from health sciences to math and music.
By: Judy Lundmark
