Radiography & Diagnostic Imaging

The UCD Radiography & Diagnostic Imaging group is responsible for the delivery of our undergraduate programme in radiography and is the national centre for radiography training.  We offer an extensive portfolio of graduate taught and research programmes across in all modern imaging modalities.  Our graduate programmes support the national network of radiography service managers across all Irish acute and general hospitals including those who provide clinical training opportunities for undergraduate radiography students.

Led by Prof Louise Rainford, Senior Lecturer, the group is internationally recognised as a leading centre for radiography education and research.  It has lead the way in inter-professional education combining anatomy teaching and clinical imaging training to groups of radiography and medicine students.  It has collaborations with the American Board of Radiology, several American Health Centres and numerous academic institutions overseas.

Current imaging research areas focus on image perception and user validation to investigate human perceptual limitations with respect to accurate diagnosis and improved patient outcomes. The group also explore the quantification of disease states using MR, PET/CT and ultrasound and as well as related segmentation and visualization techniques. They have interests in foetal and adult electrophysiology and simulation with the aim of enriching cardiological and neurological diagnosis and treatment. Technology-centred research includes dose image optimisation across imaging modalities, CT data processing and RIS/PACS networking solutions in medicine.

Subject Areas 

Radiography

Radiography is the use of X-rays to view a non-uniformly composed material such as the human body. By using the physical properties of the ray an image can be developed which displays areas of different density and composition.

Head of Subject: Associate Professor Shane Foley

Shane Foley

Prof Louise Rainford

Louise Rainford2

Prof Louise Rainford's background is in the area of Medical Imaging. She has graduate qualifications in Radiography, Medical Imaging, Management and Teaching

Her career in UCD commenced as a lecturer in 1997, and from 2006 she was appointed as Head of Teaching for Radiography Programmes and led the development of radiography education at undergraduate and graduate level. In early 2009 Prof Louise Rainford was appointed as Head of Radiography Division and Head of the School's Biological Imaging Research Strand.

In this role Prof Rainford is the Lead for more than 30 scientists including anatomists, computer scientists, biological scientists, rheumatologists, obstetricians, radiographers and neurologists working in collaboration with radiologists, physicists, visual scientists postdoctoral and PhD researchers. In line with Irish Government and EU priorities, the aim of the Research Strand is to undertake research that focuses upon findings which translate into improved diagnosis and management of a broad spectrum of disease.

Her supervision of research projects to date have incorporated a broad range of imaging modalities including X-ray, computerised tomography, fluoroscopic guided interventional procedures, and mammography, and her findings published in several international peer reviewed journals. In addition to on-going individual research projects Prof Rainford is responsible for the structuring of the Dedicated Diagnostic Imaging Research Facilities within the newly formed Dublin Academic Medical Centre (DAMC) which has UCD as the central academic centre.