From imaging atlases to computational models: Understanding lymphatic dysfunction in breast cancer-related lymphoedema

Breast cancer treatment can disrupt lymphatic drainage, resulting in lymphatic dysfunction and, in some individuals, breast cancer-related lymphoedema (BCRL), a chronic condition characterised by swelling of the upper limb. While advances in lymphatic imaging have improved understanding of disease processes, important gaps remain in identifying early imaging biomarkers and developing objective methods to assess disease severity and progression.

In this project, you will investigate how patterns of lymphatic drainage differ between healthy individuals, breast cancer survivors without clinical lymphoedema, and patients with established lymphatic disease. The research will build upon our team's comprehensive spatial atlases of normal lymphatic drainage in healthy volunteers and recently developed atlases of lymphatic dysfunction in BCRL. Working with unique imaging datasets, including lymphoscintigraphy and ICG lymphography collected by leading lymphoedema treatment centres in Australia and Boston, USA, you will apply image processing and quantitative image analysis techniques to characterise patterns of normal and dysfunctional lymphatic drainage.

Using these data, you will quantify the extent and spatial distribution of lymphatic dysfunction, compare drainage patterns across groups, and identify imaging features associated with disease development, progression, and severity. Statistical modelling and machine learning approaches will then be used to develop objective imaging biomarkers for the detection and classification of BCRL, supporting more accurate and reproducible methods for disease assessment and monitoring.

Depending on the student's interests, there is also potential to integrate imaging-derived findings into computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models of lymphatic transport. By combining anatomical and functional imaging data, these models could provide new insights into normal and abnormal lymphatic flow and the mechanisms underlying lymphatic dysfunction in BCRL. 

This multidisciplinary project is suited to students with interests in medical imaging, anatomy, biomedical engineering, computer science, and clinical research, and offers opportunities for international collaboration and translational impact.

This project is eligible for funding but is subject to eligibility criteria & funding availability.