Wednesday 3rd July 2024 saw 30+ colleagues interested in Artificial Intelligence and Pathology descend on Warwick University’s TIA Centre to hold a workshop.

Delegates from a variety of disciplines, including pathologists and data scientists, attended the workshop, on Campus. The focus of the workshop was to explore the Future Interface of Computing and Pathology.

The meeting was lively and interactive and will be the first in a series of workshops that will be hosted by the TIA Centre in furtherance of this subject area. Thank you to all those who participated.

If you would like to join in future workshops please contact the TIA Centre at tia@warwick.ac.uk.

Professor Reinhard MaurerLink opens in a new window has recently published his paper in Physical Review Letters titledStructure of graphene grown on Cu(111): X-ray Standing Wave Measurement and Density Functional Theory Prediction'Link opens in a new window

The recently published BBSRC Impact Showcase 2023 presents a collection of impact stories arising from BBSRC investments. The showcase highlights the vital role bioscience has in addressing key strategic global challenges and features research by Professor Eric Holub to develop new varieties of beans compatible with the British Climate.
Find out more (Scroll down the homepage to find 'Homegrown production of designer dry beans').

‘Personalised’ hip replacement surgery might be just what the doctor ordered for people with hip arthritis – according to new research. Using advanced technology from other industries such as automotive and manufacturing, researchers are driving medical advancement.

The result is tailored hip replacements, as each person moves their hips in slightly different ways. At the moment, replacements are based on a ‘normal’ hip rather than being specifically designed for the patient.

In the study by WMG at The University of Warwick, in collaboration with University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust and Corin Group, researchers revealed this pioneering approach to hip replacements could improve patient outcomes and surgery success rates.

More than 100,000 people in the UK undergo hip replacements each year, according to the NHS – commonly due to arthritis, a disease of the joints which causes significant pain.

The new study analysed longstanding problems in hip replacement surgery: on the specific range of motion needed in a replacement and how the value of the personalised surgery could be calculated before any operation.

In the study, Lead Researcher Dr Arnab Palit, Assistant Professor at WMG at The University of Warwick, and his team combined real-life and computer models to compare simulated and real hip motions.

This demonstrated that certain hip motions can be easily and accurately calculated using state-of-the-art computer simulations based on CT scans of the patient’s hip joint, closely mirroring real hip motions.

This advancement could enable surgeons to plan hip surgeries based on patient-specific target hip motions, rather than relying on population norms or arbitrary 'normal' values. This personalised approach is particularly valuable for patients who do not fall within these average values, ensuring that pre-surgical planning is truly individualised and likely to be more effective.

Using these tailor-made hip replacements could improve the success of operations, making them ‘right at the first time’. Surgeons may be able to put the artificial hip in just the right spot based on the pre-operatively calculated personified target hip motion.

This could reduce the chances of any clinical problems later on, minimising the risk of revision surgery. This will also help to improve the recovery time of patients, while also reducing additional costs and labour to the NHS.

Dr Palit said: “This research shows a big step forward in hip replacement planning. By using computer simulations based on a patient's hip shape from CT scans, we can predict certain hip movements accurately. During surgery, these predicted movements can guide them to place implants in the best positions for each patient.

“So, instead of using average measurements, we're customising the surgery to fit each person perfectly, leading better surgery. Further research will be necessary to fully explore its potential to utilise it for NHS patients.”

Professor Richard King, Clinical Orthopaedic Surgeon at UHCW and the clinical lead of the project, commented: “The hip replacement has been called ‘the operation of the century’.

“As surgeons, we are constantly looking to make it better and more reliable. This work we have done with WMG could help us to do exactly this, by showing us how to tailor the operation precisely for each individual patient.”

Dr Christopher Plaskos, Vice President, Global Clinical Innovation at Corin Group added: “Corin is proud to support this research aimed at predicting the true range of clinical motion of a hip joint from pre-operative CT and hip motion simulation. It’s research like this that will shape the future of hip planning, leading to truly personalised hip replacement.”

Find out more about WMG’s scanning capabilities here: Metrology and 3D Imaging (warwick.ac.uk)

Dr Martin Winter and Dr Kawa Manmi have been awarded the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine Postdoctoral Prize.

Last month, the Met Office reported that July was the UK’s sixth wettest on record, and unsurprisingly the UK had 19% fewer hours of sunshine than average over the month, with 140.3 hours in total.

Researchers at Warwick Medical School say that light is the most important environmental cue for synchronising our biological clock and regulating sleep, which if interrupted can have a detrimental effect on our mood and wellbeing.

Read the full news piece