27 Oct 10. Prof Edwin van Beek

A unique imaging facility will help researchers and doctors improve diagnosis and treatments for a range of illnesses.

The £20 million Clinical Research Imaging Centre (CRIC) is the first fully integrated imaging facility of its kind in the UK.

The centre enables research into illnesses including multiple sclerosis, schizophrenia, cancer and heart disease.

It is a collaboration between the University and NHS Lothian and was officially opened by HRH, The Duke of Edinburgh.

Use of imaging

The different scanners at the centre can be used study the causes and spread of diseases on different ways and assess their impact on the body.

The scanners allow investigations to take place without invasive procedures. Their use reduces the need for biopsies or angiograms, where catheters are used to identify vessel and organ damage.

Experts can use the imaging equipment to scan organs in under a second and to see in great detail how they function.

They are also also track the flow of blood through vessels, for instance in the heart, determine the spread of disease and assess the effectiveness of new drugs treatments.