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Last Updated: 02/05/2021

DCTD Convenes the 2021 Annual Meeting of the Quantitative Imaging Network

Chart showing relationship between the Executive Committee, Technical Teams, Working Groups and the Coordinating Committee

The 2021 Annual Meeting of the Quantitative Imaging Network (QIN) took place virtually on January 22, 2021 (agenda). This year's meeting focused on translation of developed quantitative imaging tools and methods into clinical trials. The meeting offered 13 presentations and several open microphone sessions to the nearly 140 attendees.

Meeting Highlights

  • Robert Nordstrom, PhD, QIN Director, Deputy Associate Director, Cancer Imaging Program (CIP), discussed the interaction of the QIN with the NCI Clinical Trials and Translational Research Advisory Committee (CTAC), which began with a presentation made to the committee in 2018 and led to a joint QIN – CTAC Working Group. This working group delivered a report to the main CTAC committee in March 2020 outlining six recommendations for streamlining the transition of quantitative imaging tools into NCTN clinical trials. The recommendations included creation of an Oversite Committee to guide the interface of tools with specific clinical trials.
  • Larry Schwartz, MD, Chairman, Department of Radiology, Columbia University, presented QIN strategies and successes with interactions with the NCTN groups, including presentations to the various imaging committees and discussions of tool placement with the disease sites committees.

The Future of the QIN

Although direct NCI support for QIN activities has terminated, Darrell Tata, PhD, Program Director, CIP, listed several opportunities that already exist for quantitative imaging research support. The consensus from the participants was that the QIN has been a valuable contributor to progress in imaging tool development and translation, and that efforts should be made to continue the QIN. This will be a topic of discussion for the Network Executive committee in the coming year.

Laurence P. Clarke Young Scientist Award in Quantitative Imaging

Wei Mu, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Moffitt Cancer Center

At this year’s QIN meeting, NCI awarded the 2021 Laurence P. Clarke Young Scientist Award in Quantitative Imaging to Wei Mu, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Moffitt Cancer Center. Her research interests involve the development of machine learning models to analyze multimodal medical images for the early diagnosis of cancer and to aid in the decision of individualized treatment planning.