Clinical Translational Imaging Science – CTIS
The Clinical Translational Imaging Science [CTIS] study section reviews developmental imaging proposals with a focus on translation to the clinic. It covers a wide range of imaging modalities including but not restricted to MRI (structural, functional, spectroscopic), optical, PET, SPECT and other molecular approaches, photoacoustic, ultrasound, optical, and multimodal platforms. Applications may propose engineering, optimization and integration of imaging systems, or protocols so long the emphasis is translational and/or clinical in nature. Applications typically include a clinical translational aim evaluating an imaging system in human subjects, pathological tissues, or archival clinical data.
Review Dates
Topics
- Development of detectors, scopes, probes, coils, sensors, and other hardware or hardware/software integrations for use in humans
- Improved contrast enhancement and clinical target validation
- Demonstration studies, comparing new imaging methods with current standards with regard to diagnosis, pathology characterization, clinical prognosis, or clinical outcomes
- Application of algorithms for extracting or combining information from imaging systems for clinical decision making, including machine learning and artificial intelligence approaches
- Studies of the clinical safety of emerging imaging technologies
- Human trials of established contrast agents
- Human histological imaging
Shared Interests and Overlaps
Imaging Technology Development [ITD] reviews grant applications that seek to create new imaging technologies or to create new capability in existing modalities, often with the ultimate goal of solving a particular clinical problem. Proposals emphasizing biomedical engineering, physics, or mathematics to create novel imaging methods are reviewed in ITD. Proposals to develop novel artificial intelligence and machine learning methods are reviewed in ITD, even if they use archival human data. When the work has advanced to the point where testing in humans with clinical outcomes is proposed, it is typically reviewed in CTIS.
Emerging Imaging Technologies and Applications [EITA] also reviews grant applications that propose to develop or optimize imaging systems for particular tissues, pathological conditions or physiological processes with a goal of clinical use. These proposals may include studies with human tissues, optimization, or small proof of principle studies in humans. Proposals to optimize artificial intelligence and machine learning for research or clinical application are reviewed in EITA, even if they use archival human data. When the work has advanced to the point that the application includes a substantial test of the system performance in patients with clinically relevant outcomes, it is typically reviewed in CTIS.
Imaging Probes and Contrast Agents [IPCA] generally reviews applications involving the initial steps of discovering, creating, and validating contrast agents preclinically and clinically. Applications proposing first in human studies to validate new tracers and contrast agents are usually reviewed in IPCA. CTIS generally reviews tracer and contrast agent applications when the agent is advanced to the point of human clinical trials. Non-clinical trial human studies may be reviewed in either CTIS or IPCA.
There are shared interests in developmental imaging proposals in which the work has advanced to the point where testing in humans with clinical outcomes with Imaging Technology for Neuroscience (ITN). Applications that emphasize non-neurological translational applications are reviewed in CTIS. Applications that emphasize when the translational end is neurological are reviewed in ITN.
Imaging Guided Interventions and Surgery [IGIS] also reviews developmental imaging proposals with a translational emphasis. If the clinical translation is an image guided surgery or medical treatment, the proposal will generally be reviewed in IGIS.
CTIS and Clinical Data Management and Analysis (CDMA) have shared interests in the use of imaging datasets for clinical decision support. Applications that emphasize the development, optimization, or integration of imaging components and systems for clinical translation, or extract information from imaging data for clinical decision making are reviewed in CTIS. Applications that emphasize the development, validation, and use of computational methodology to integrate data from multiple sources, which may include imaging datasets, to support healthcare delivery and clinical decisions are reviewed in CDMA.
There are shared interests with Clinical Oncology (CONC) in imaging modalities. Applications that focus on using imaging techniques to monitor therapeutic outcomes in clinical trials may be reviewed in CONC. Applications that focus on the imaging system or protocol development in diagnosis of cancer or monitoring progression and response to therapy, the application may be reviewed in CTIS.
Radiation Therapeutics and Biology [RTB] reviews applications on therapeutic interactions of ionizing radiation, radionuclides, electromagnetic radiation, and heat at the molecular, cellular, organ, and patient levels. Applications that focus on use of imaging and imaging analysis as related to targeting of radiation and assessment of response will be reviewed in RTB. Applications that are translational in nature and focused on developing or optimizing new imaging technologies and protocols related to radiation will be reviewed in CTIS.
