Big Data Institute

British Heart Foundation

Zhang Group: Generative Artificial Intelligence for Cardiovascular Imaging — Radcliffe Department of Medicine (ox.ac.uk)

Big Data Institute: AI-enhanced cardiovascular imaging using machine learning at population scale — Nuffield Department of Population Health (ox.ac.uk)

I am a deep learning (machine learning) scientist, with cross-domain knowledge of cardiovascular disease, MR physics and scan protocols. My research programme focuses on (i) advancing cardiac imaging and (ii) enriching clinical research, with AI:

(i)   Advancing cardiovascular MRI with Generative AI. A representative work is Virtual Native Enhancement (VNE) imaging, where we developed AI techniques that could serve as "virtual contrast" in enhancing MR images, without the need for contrast injections. This may lead to more informative, needle-free, faster and safer heart MR scans.

(ii)   Developing automated image processing pipeline for cardiac imaging big data, and AI-enhanced cardiac biomarkers to drive new discoveries in clinical research.

[new] I am starting a Deep Learning Group at the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, and will be actively recruiting for post-doctoral researchers and DPhil (PhD) students. Contact me for more information.

News articles

• The Sunday Times: "AI slashes cost of MRI scans ...", 1 Jan 2023
• Oxford University News: "How AI is shaping medical imaging", 20 Sep 2022
• RDM News: "SCMR Early Career Award" 8 Feb 2022
• BHF News: "AI breakthrough for faster, cheaper and injection-free heart scans", 9 Aug 2021
• The Telegraph: "New AI heart scanner will cut NHS backlog ...", 7 Aug 2021
• SCMR Newsletter, 29 Jul 2021
• OUH News: "AI replaces contrast dye for fast, cheaper ...", 8 Jul 2021
• RDM News "AI breakthrough for fast and cheaper CMR scans", 7 Jul 2021
• NIHR Oxford BRC News: "AI replaces contrast dyes for needle-free CMR", 7 Jul 2021

Editorial

Circulation Podcast, 24 Aug 2021
Circulation Podcast, 15 Nov 2022
Circulation Editorial, 2021
Circulation Editorial, 2022

Interview

BBC Radio 4 Today Interview, on how new AI technologies can help with NHS backlog, 9 Aug 2021
Times Radio Interview, on AI and robotics in healthcare, 10 Aug 2021

Zhang Q, Piechnik SK, Ferreira VM, Hann E, Popescu IA: “Enhancement of Medical Images”, Oxford University Innovation, PCT/GB2020/052117, published 11 March 2021 (Publication number WO/2021/044153)

Zhang Q, Piechnik SK, Ferreira VM, Werys K, Popescu IA: “Validation of Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Imaging Protocols”, Oxford University Innovation, PCT/GB2020/051189, published 26 Nov 2020 (Publication number WO/2020/234570)

Hann E, Piechnik SK, Popescu IA, Zhang Q, Werys K, Ferreira VM: “Method and Apparatus for Quality Prediction”, Oxford University Innovation, PCT/GB2020/050249, published 13 Aug 2020 (Publication number WO/2020/161481)