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Clinical Research
The Queen Square Radiosurgery Centre, as well as providing a radiosurgery service for NHS, private and international patients, is committed to research and dissemination of knowledge, working with groups from around the world. Research is a key focus and the trials we are currently designing and conducting will provide invaluable data to optimise the methods currently used to plan and deliver Gamma Knife Radiosurgery as well as to assess its effectiveness and safety.
A series of research projects are currently being undertaken and their results are expected to positively impact the quality of the service we offer. The research questions being addressed are based from local observations and will provide invaluable data both for local use and comparison to global practice. The research being undertaken includes studies on all stages of Gamma Knife Radiosurgery, from pre-treatment MRI imaging, to long term evaluation of efficacy and possible side effects.
Thus, research subjects are heterogeneous and include: optimisation of sequences for MRI pre-treatment imaging, evaluation of algorithms to calculate the radiation dose, trial of different beam sizes to deliver radiation to brain metastases, comparison of Gamma Knife with other therapeutic options for trigeminal neuralgia, comparison of Gamma Knife with other Radio surgical tools, and long term evaluation of efficacy and side effects of the treatment. This requires constant input from a multidisciplinary team that assesses the relevance of the research as well as the design and methods, so as to accurately provide answers to the research questions.
Our Research Team
The research work is led by Mr Neil Kitchen, Consultant Neurosurgeon and Ian Paddick, Chief Medical Physicist; both well experienced practitioners and renowned researchers and co-ordinated by Cornel Tancu, Clinical Research Fellow. The projects are designed and conducted in collaboration with consultants from other relevant specialties, such as Dr Naomi Fersht, Clinical oncologist and Dr Rolf Jager, Consultant Neuroradiologist.
We aim to include all of our patients in our research. We have a variety of trials which are suitable for multi diseases, but also others specific for diseases such as Brain Metastasis and Trigeminal Neuralgia.
If you are a patient interested in enrolling in any of our research projects, please don’t hesitate to contact us for further information.
If you would like to work in collaboration with us on research projects or trials please get in touch.
Amethyst is at the forefront of medical research in Europe
On this page you can check the medical trials led or participated by Amethyst centres across Europe.