Expansion of state-of-the-art MR imaging infrastructure for pulmonary disease stratification: POLARIS

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Summary of POLARISThe unique combination of expertise in technology development and the proven ability to translate new technologies into pioneering clinical studies at the University of Sheffield forms the basis of this application for funding. We have long-standing high-level collaborations with both Hospital Trusts in Sheffield (Sheffield Teaching Hospital and Sheffield Children's Hospital) that allow us to apply our developments in all age groups. This has established Sheffield as a national clinical referral centre for image based understanding of lung diseases, but our work has also enabled other centres within the UK to roll out the methods for the benefit of a much wider group of patients. This application is particularly timely with the award of the NIHR Research Professorship to Jim Wild in 2013, which will facilitate the national uptake of the technology at other centres. The expansion of our gas polarisation facilities enabled by this grant will have many benefits for our collaborating centres including creation of a national distribution facility for hyperpolarised gases for those centres that don't have their own polarisation facilities. The ongoing methodological research, clinical evaluations and work with drug companies performed on the planned new state-of-the art 1.5T scanner will ensure that the UK becomes the leading nation in this important area of diagnostic medicine.