Our mission is to reach consensus on major topics in photoacoustic imaging (PAI) standardization, to improve the quality of preclinical studies and to accelerate efforts in clinical translation. By establishing such standards, we aim to facilitate open access, use, and exchange of data between different groups to enhance reproducibility of research.
The IPASC Mission
Network Grant Funding Call
IPASC would like to stimulate research activity in our 4 new thematic areas. We have received funding from the UK-funder EPSRC to promote exchange of academic researchers to learn new skills, build new collaborations or gather preliminary data to support future grant applications in IPASC priority areas.
Researchers may travel from the UK to a lab overseas, or from an overseas lab to the UK, to complete an activity in an IPASC thematic area. Researchers may apply for a grant of up to £3000 to support travel and accommodation costs for the research visit. Consumables costs are not supported.
Applications require a short statement of intent and timeframe (500 words) along with a CV from the applicant, and a letter of support from both your current supervisor and your proposed host. The applications will be reviewed by the IPASC leadership team.
Send your application to ipasc@cruk.cam.ac.uk by end of April 2023.
Themes

Clinical Adoption
To promote adoption of PAI in the clinic, the PAI community needs to become more outward-facing and more comprehensively consider the needs of the clinical community. The Clinical Adoption theme promotes activites to engage the broader clinical community co-creation to maximise the future patient benefit from PAI.

Test Objects & Methods
To aid reproducibility of research and instrument quality assurance / control, IPASC is working to establish consensus on ideal optical and acoustic phantom properties and geometries. Based on these consensus guidelines, agreed phantom materials and test methods will be refined and disseminated to the community.

Standards Development
The PAI community remains at a relatively early stage of standards development. The activities undertaken in this theme aim to define potential device applications and design requirements for standardisation, along with critical image quality characteristics and quantitative imaging biomarkers. Our trajectory is towards direct interface with, and later adoption into, existing standards organisations.

Data Management
The data management theme have defined a standard data format and are currently working towards a sustainable database for high-quality annotated open-access photoacoustic measurements for education, training and methodological validation.
Get involved
Click the button below to be redirected to our 'Get Involved' page where you can contact us either by filling out a downloadable documenta and sending across to the Leadership team, or by completing the on-page form.