Metabolic Imaging

MRI shows a 4–5% muscle/lean mass decline over ~2.5 years — missed by DXA. Bottom line: DXA is practical at scale, but MRI gives a more precise picture of lean mass change, especially in ageing and longitudinal studies.

New paper out! #citeas" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">nature.com/articles/s4385… Using data from 32,961 @uk_biobank participants, we compared DXA vs MRI for body composition. Key takeaways: DXA works well for fat measures. It overestimates lean mass vs MRI.

@aifbw @timeshighered These blunt rules ignore people’s real circumstances and risk shutting out exceptional talent. You’re a powerful example of just how much brilliance would be lost @aifbw

So that would have been me debarred from higher education, then! My home circumstances were challenging and I left home and school at 16. I was a teenage mum and rejoined education later. Now a STEM professor @timeshighered Source: Times Higher Education share.google/BLNg2LjXjGcPLo…

Using deep learning on 44k @uk_biobank abdominal MRIs, we mapped heart and vascular structures, linked these traits to CVD risk, and uncovered 15 new genetic associations. Abdominal MRI is a powerful, untapped tool for understanding cardiovascular health rdcu.be/e5f3C

I was ridiculously excited to meet @AuntMinnie today! You never know what’s going to happen next at @RSN. There is just so much to explore. A fantastic first day #RSNA25

We’re proud to share the publication of a new paper in the Journal of Abdominal Radiology on automated MRI quantification of body fat and skeletal muscle. Study highlights: ✅ For clinicians: A rapid, single-slice assessment of body fat and muscle, strongly correlated with gold-standard volumetric measures, to support routine monitoring, triage, and decision-making. 💊 For pharma: Trial-ready volumetric MRI biomarkers for body composition, validated against expert manual segmentations and interchangeable across methods and vendors, enabling objective, scalable endpoints in obesity, cardiometabolic and musculoskeletal trials 👏 Congratulations to Magdalena Nowak, Luis Núñez, Charles E. Hill, Tim Pagliaro, John McGonigle, Marili Niglas, Camilo Bell-Bradford, Matthew Robson, Helena Thomaides Brears, E. Louise Thomas, and Jimmy D. Bell on this important contribution. 🔗 link.springer.com/article/10.100… 👉 BBC bbc.co.uk/news/articles/… #Perspectum #BodyComposition #MedicalImaging #ClinicalResearch #Pharma #ClinicalTrials #UKBiobank #Collaboration

All speaker presentations from last month's 100K Imaging Project celebration at the Royal Society are now available to view ✅

@davidtroponin @LifeSciWestmin I had no idea that there was a university TikTok account 😂

@uniwestminster/video/7535882038038088982?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7405925989090149921" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">tiktok.com/@uniwestminste… @LifeSciWestmin

@manuelcorpas @NatureGenet Congratulations @manuelcorpas

🚨 New in @NatureGenet! “Why genomic diversity should not be framed by census alone” We show why genetic diversity ≠ census size, and why equity, science & sovereignty must guide genomics. 📖 Read: doi.org/10.1038/s41588… #Genomics #Equity #NatureGenetics

Wonderful to see out graduating students walk across the stage at the Royal Festival Hall this afternoon. What a joyous celebration of their achievement, congratulations to all of our graduates and their families 🎓@UniWestminster

@claire76 @pollyhayes Could be this year as I’m in the same outfit 😂

Just in case you wondered… me with my work besties last year!

I absolutely love #graduation - celebrating with my students, meeting their families and wearing my crazy gown… bought some funky new shoes to spice it up today 🥰 which will NOT match my gown at all 🎓#WeAreWestminster ⁦@uw_alumni⁩ ⁦@UniWestminster⁩

Please to share our latest @RCOptimalHealth paper led by Elena Sorokin and @YaghootkarH now published in @FrontGenetics @LifeSciWestmin frontiersin.org/journals/genet…

Yesterday, we announced that our Imaging Project achieved the original goal of scanning 100,000 participants. ✅ Learn more about how the altruism of 100K volunteers is positively impacting health research here: ukbiobank.ac.uk/discoveries-an…

@aifbw @UniWestminster Thank you so much Alex! Amazing to think that all those late nights of fat imaging at the Hammersmith and the endless hours of manual image analysis would eventually grow into something so extraordinary.

A wonderful achievement - kudos to Jimmy Bell and Louise Thomas for having the vision and drive to make this happen @UniWestminster

Many congratulations to the @uk_biobank for reaching this extraordinary milestone. We are so proud to see the fantastic research of our @RCOptimalHealth team led by Prof Louise Thomas (@ImagingFat) and Prof Jimmy Bell being featured in the press coverage today.

Also out this week in @IntJObesity Changes in abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue thickness associate with disease and anthropometric factors led by our fantastic Marjola Thanaj @uk_biobank @LifeSciWestmin @RCOptimalHealth nature.com/articles/s4136…

Our new publication: Deep learning predicts onset acceleration of 38 age-associated diseases from blood and body composition biomarkers in the UK Biobank led by our brilliant Mica Xu Ji @GeroScienceAGE @uk_biobank @LifeSciWestmin @RCOptimalHealth link.springer.com/article/10.100…

Home after a wonderful graduation at @univofstandrews. We were a very proud watching Daisy raised to the rank of Master of Arts in International Relations and Social Anthropology. A spectacular ceremony and garden party to mark the end of four fantastic years in a unique town.

@claire76 Oh no - that’s rough. Hope you are feeling ok

Been one of those awful days as a #type1 - single injection after brekkie, constant food and only finally seeing the inevitable rebound starting. Exhausted 😩

@Anthony21360838 @RCOptimalHealth @LifeSciWestmin Congratulations Tony 👏👏👏

Very pleased to be appointed to The Scientific Committee for The European Scientific Cooperative on Phytotherapy (ESCOP) @RCOptimalHealth @LifeSciWestmin escop.com/about-escop/sc…