PhD position: A/Prof Marcus Kitchen

Roentgen’s Nobel Prize-winning discovery of X-rays enabled us to non-destructively image inside the body, birthing medical diagnostic imaging and revolutionising materials characterisation. Absorption of X-rays in an object provides conventional X-ray image contrast, but absorption of this ionizing radiation can induce cancer with sufficient exposure. However, X-rays also refract and scatter in materials and we utilise these non-absorbed X-rays to massively increase image contrast and reduce radiation exposure using coherent synchrotron radiation. We have developed these “phase contrast” and “dark field” imaging techniques to solve many important problems in biology and change clinical practice in respiratory medicine.

Our ongoing research program involves developing new imaging technologies through theory and simulation and/or experimental design and testing; developing new image reconstruction algorithms for providing more information with less radiation; and applying our techniques to biomedical applications. Students will have access to our X-ray imaging laboratory in the New Horizons Research Centre for developing new technology. We also regularly perform experiments at the Australian Synchrotron and the Super Photon Ring (SPring-8) Synchrotron in Japan, where our students also regularly conduct their own experiments.

Project areas include:

• Colour (spectroscopic) X-ray imaging in multiple spatial and temporal dimensions
• Quantitative functional lung imaging using near field X-ray speckle
• Ultra-low dose Computed Tomography for lung, brain or breast imaging.
• Dark field X-ray imaging
• Translating new x-ray imaging techniques from the synchrotron to the laboratory
• Transforming breast cancer imaging with x-ray phase contrast

Webpage: https://xrayimagingmonash.wordpress.com/

For further details or alternative project arrangements, please contact: [email protected]