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Presentation

On April 5, the Imaging Network Ontario (ImNO) steering committee chairs, Dr. Mike Bronskill and Dr. Aaron Fenster, presented the consensus blueprint for the proposed Imaging Network Ontario. The blueprint for the network was developed by our research community in response to the Ontario Research Development Challenge Fund (ORDCF) request for concerted planning and preparation of proposals to the fund. The entire presentation to the board is available at this site. On April 24, the chairs were pleased to receive the news that the ORDCF had approved the blueprint and plans for preparation of proposals to be submitted for review and funding.

Imaging blueprint background

  • established excellence in large well funded labs at multiple sites in Ontario
  • world-class infrastructure facilities available in Ontario CFI/OIT - $35 million in last competition
  • a strong sense of community in Ontario
  • strong collaborations with industry in Ontario
  • established track record in technology transfer to industry in Ontario
  • track record in formation of spinoffs (seven in the last five years)

Opportunity

transformation of imaging industry:

  • from instrumentation to information focus (software intensive)

people:

  • infrastructure
  • harness
  • innovations

Process

  • province-wide meeting in Toronto on January 12, 2000
  • consensus on mission, objectives and impact
  • established steering committee
  • consensus on themes
  • establish Web site for development of themes and communications
  • individual theme meetings developing proposals
    • industrial participants
    • impact in Ontario
    • funding focussed on HQP (postdoctoral and graduate students)

Imaging Blueprint Themes

Vascular imaging

  • leader: Brian Rutt, John P. Robarts Research Institute, London
  • participants: London
  • status: established October 1998

Cardiac imaging

  • leader: Graham Wright, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto
  • participants: Toronto, London, Ottawa, Hamilton
  • status: established January 2001

Image-guided therapy and surgery

  • leader: Michael Sherar and Walter Kucharczyk, University Health Network, Toronto
  • participants: Toronto, London, Kingston, Ottawa
  • status: established January 2001

Oncological imaging

  • leader: Martin Yaffe, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto
  • participants: Toronto, London, Ottawa
  • status: established January 2001

Imaging in neuroscience

  • leader: Randy McIntosh, Rotman Research Institute, Toronto
  • participants: Toronto, London, Hamilton
  • status: established June 2001

Small animal imaging

  • leader: Stuart Foster, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto
  • participants: Toronto, London, Kingston, Ottawa, Hamilton
  • status: established April 2002

Veterinary imaging

  • leader: Howard Dobson, University of Guelph
  • participants: Guelph, London, Toronto
  • status: new

PACS/Image processing

  • leader: R. Daoud and Patrice Bret, Toronto
  • participants: Toronto, Waterloo
  • status: new

Microscopy and optical imaging

  • leader: Brian Wilson, Ontario Cancer Institute, Toronto
  • participants: Toronto, Ottawa, Waterloo
  • status: new

Virtual reality and simulation

  • leader: University of Waterloo
  • participants: Waterloo, Toronto, Ottawa
  • status: new

Imaging for non-destructive testing

  • leader: London
  • participants: TBA
  • status: new

Imaging initiative committee

  • analogous to genomics initiative committee
  • co-chairs: Mike Bronskill and Aaron Fenster
  • members:
    • three external imaging scientists
    • three industrial advisors
    • three Ontario visionaries
  • activities:
    • review (recommendations to medical committee)
    • advise applicants on budget and content
    • long-range planning

Operations committee

  • co-chairs: Mike Bronskill and Aaron Fenster
  • members:
    • principal investigators of successful proposals
    • key industrial partners
  • activities:
    • plan annual meeting
    • educate in tech transfer
    • facilitate interactions between participants and industrial partners
    • coordinate symposia and publicity

Where will we be in 5 years?

  • make Ontario a focus for R&D in biomedical imaging
  • establish and foster world-competitive imaging companies in Ontario
  • cultivate and promote entrepreneurial and industrial career paths for our trainees