Dr. Aamir Raja is a Medical Physicist. He joined Khalifa University in August 2020 as an Assistant Professor where he co-founded the Medical Physics wing in the physics department and co-developed an accredited M.Sc program in medical physics.
Prior to his appointment, Dr Raja was the Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Academic Radiology at the University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand. He also held a Visiting Research Fellowship at the University of Canterbury, NZ and a Visiting Academic Teaching Staff position at the ARA Institute of Canterbury, NZ. Dr Raja also held a secondment position in the industry. He is a Life Member and Fellow of the Union for International Cancer Control. Currently, he also holds Honorary Senior Research Fellowship with the University of Otago Christchurch.
Dr Raja has been working in x-rays imaging since 2009, beginning with the completion of his PhD in Medical Physics from Canterbury University. His research interest includes but is not limited to radiation physics and medical imaging physics, particularly x-ray imaging with small pixel detectors for medical and diagnostic imaging applications. Moreover, Dr Raja and his colleagues contributed to the development of the world’s first commercial preclinical and clinical spectral photon-counting computed tomography, producing colour x-ray images with applications to biology and medicine such as characterizing bone health, cartilage health, and metal implants imaging, cancer imaging with targeted nanoparticles, atherosclerosis (measuring calcification, lipid content), and arthritis (crystal arthropathies).
Dr Raja has supervised more than twenty full-time thesis students. Out of twenty, he has directly supervised twelve University of Otago NZ students, two Master-level students from the University of Canterbury NZ and two from the National University of Science and Technology Pakistan (ongoing), and several visiting international PhD students, summer students, senior-level projects (4th year UG students) and interns.
Overall, Dr. Raja’s research has contributed to >25 journal publications, >20 peer-reviewed conference proceedings, >42 published abstracts, and two book chapters. He was PI/NI on various NZ-funded projects worth over $500K to work on cardiovascular disease imaging, joint diseases, and cancer imaging using photon-counting CT. He has also been awarded Khalifa University Faculty Startup Grant worth ~$300K in 2021.
Initiating machine learning-based CT radiation monitoring database in the emirates of Abu Dhabi
In UAE, there is no formal system or software available at the national level to automatically collect computed tomography radiation monitoring data into a central database and allow hospitals to compare their CT doses. This project aims to develop a machine learning-based smart radiation monitoring tool that connects with computed tomography scanners and/or hospital PACS (Picture archiving and communication system) servers and collects all data automatically into a central database.
Imaging assessment of multiple high-atomic number nanoparticle contrast elements for multi-energy CT
This project aims to combine nanoparticle technology with low-dose multi-energy (spectral) computed tomography (CT) systems and apply task-based image quality assessment to identify non-toxic high-atomic number (Z) elements that produce maximum CT contrast. For this project, task-based image quality characterization will be performed using a clinically established dual-energy CT scanner and a laboratory version of an emerging photon-counting CT scanner. Commercially viable non-toxic multiple high-Z nanoparticle-based contrast elements will be assessed simultaneously.
Development of machine learning based artefacts reduction software using multi-energy CT
In CT imaging, when x-rays pass through high-density structures such as calcified regions and metallic implants, many physical effects such as beam hardening, photon starvation and partial volume effects cause metal-related artefacts. Metal artefacts are considered one of the major clinical challenges as it significantly deteriorates the signal-to-noise ratio. These artefacts limit the accurate assessment of image quality in metal and adjacent non-metal regions which severely impairs the assessment of complications of metal implants and the tissues in the vicinity of implants. This project will exploit the access to the photon-counting CT scanner and develop machine learning-based image denoising/correction techniques for clinical applications.
Development of AI-based material reconstruction software using multi-energy CT
Multi-energy photon-counting CT is an emerging imaging method that provides multiple energy bins in a single CT acquisition. Material decomposition in photon-counting CT is a technique that utilizes the energy dependence of the linear attenuation coefficient to identify and quantify multiple materials in a sample that are indistinguishable from one another in conventional CT. This project aims to develop artificial intelligence (machine learning/deep learning/convolution neural networks) based post-image reconstruction material decomposition algorithm using a small animal research photon counting x-ray CT system.
List of all past and current Research thesis level students:
#
Student Name
Start Date
Supervision {eca436d86c222ab3e9dab4c32851a5f0e8b92f21bb36ef315e982b8f746c99ed}
Status
i.
Yusuf Olatunji Ibrahim
(KU PhD)
1/12/2021
Assoc Prof Nabil Maalej
Dr Aamir Raja
Assoc Prof Ahsan Qurashi
Ongoing
ii.
Krishna Chapagain
(UOC PhD)
01/10/2019
Prof Anthony Butler 60{eca436d86c222ab3e9dab4c32851a5f0e8b92f21bb36ef315e982b8f746c99ed}
Dr Aamir Raja 40{eca436d86c222ab3e9dab4c32851a5f0e8b92f21bb36ef315e982b8f746c99ed}
Transferred to another supervisor before leaving UOC, NZ
iii.
Jennifer Clark
(UOC PhD)
01/05/2019
Prof Anthony Butler 60{eca436d86c222ab3e9dab4c32851a5f0e8b92f21bb36ef315e982b8f746c99ed}
Dr Aamir Raja 40{eca436d86c222ab3e9dab4c32851a5f0e8b92f21bb36ef315e982b8f746c99ed}
Transferred to another supervisor before leaving UOC, NZ
iv.
Mahdieh Moghiseh (UOC PhD)
1/08/2014
Prof Anthony Butler 70{eca436d86c222ab3e9dab4c32851a5f0e8b92f21bb36ef315e982b8f746c99ed}
Dr Aamir Raja 30{eca436d86c222ab3e9dab4c32851a5f0e8b92f21bb36ef315e982b8f746c99ed}
Completed (28/9/2017)
v.
Emmanuel Marfo (UOC PhD)
1/09/2016
Prof Anthony Butler 70{eca436d86c222ab3e9dab4c32851a5f0e8b92f21bb36ef315e982b8f746c99ed}
Dr Aamir Raja 30{eca436d86c222ab3e9dab4c32851a5f0e8b92f21bb36ef315e982b8f746c99ed}
Completed
(31/07/2020)
vi.
Maya Rajeswari (UOC PhD)
1/02/2017
Prof Anthony Butler 60{eca436d86c222ab3e9dab4c32851a5f0e8b92f21bb36ef315e982b8f746c99ed}
Dr Aamir Raja 25{eca436d86c222ab3e9dab4c32851a5f0e8b92f21bb36ef315e982b8f746c99ed}
Dr Benjamin Bamford 15{eca436d86c222ab3e9dab4c32851a5f0e8b92f21bb36ef315e982b8f746c99ed}
Completed
(15/07/2020)
vii.
Fatemeh Asghariomabad (UOC PhD)
1/05/2017
Prof Anthony Butler 60{eca436d86c222ab3e9dab4c32851a5f0e8b92f21bb36ef315e982b8f746c99ed}
Dr Aamir Raja 20{eca436d86c222ab3e9dab4c32851a5f0e8b92f21bb36ef315e982b8f746c99ed}
Dr Niels Ruiter 20{eca436d86c222ab3e9dab4c32851a5f0e8b92f21bb36ef315e982b8f746c99ed}
Completed
(20/01/2021)
viii.
Chiara Lowe (UOC PhD)
1/05/2017
Prof Anthony Butler 60{eca436d86c222ab3e9dab4c32851a5f0e8b92f21bb36ef315e982b8f746c99ed}
Dr Aamir Raja 40{eca436d86c222ab3e9dab4c32851a5f0e8b92f21bb36ef315e982b8f746c99ed}
Completed
(15/09/2020)
ix.
Shishir Dahal (UOC PhD)
1/02/2018
Prof Anthony Butler 60{eca436d86c222ab3e9dab4c32851a5f0e8b92f21bb36ef315e982b8f746c99ed}
Dr Aamir Raja 40{eca436d86c222ab3e9dab4c32851a5f0e8b92f21bb36ef315e982b8f746c99ed}
Completed
(15/10/2021)
x.
Aysouda Matanaghi (UOC PhD)
1/02/2018
Prof Anthony 70{eca436d86c222ab3e9dab4c32851a5f0e8b92f21bb36ef315e982b8f746c99ed}
Dr Aamir Raja 30{eca436d86c222ab3e9dab4c32851a5f0e8b92f21bb36ef315e982b8f746c99ed}
Completed
(07/07/2021)
xi.
Kenzie Baer (UOC PhD)
1/11/2017
Prof T Woodfield 60{eca436d86c222ab3e9dab4c32851a5f0e8b92f21bb36ef315e982b8f746c99ed}
Dr Aamir Raja 20{eca436d86c222ab3e9dab4c32851a5f0e8b92f21bb36ef315e982b8f746c99ed}
Completed
(15/11/2021)
xii.
Emily Searle
(UC PhD Student)
1/11/2018
Prof Anthony Butler 60{eca436d86c222ab3e9dab4c32851a5f0e8b92f21bb36ef315e982b8f746c99ed}
Dr Aamir Raja 20{eca436d86c222ab3e9dab4c32851a5f0e8b92f21bb36ef315e982b8f746c99ed}
A/Prof S Gieseg 20{eca436d86c222ab3e9dab4c32851a5f0e8b92f21bb36ef315e982b8f746c99ed}
Transferred to another supervisor before leaving UOC, NZ
xiii.
Yann Sayoos
(UC PhD Student)
1/05/2019
Prof Anthony 60{eca436d86c222ab3e9dab4c32851a5f0e8b92f21bb36ef315e982b8f746c99ed}
Dr Aamir Raja 40{eca436d86c222ab3e9dab4c32851a5f0e8b92f21bb36ef315e982b8f746c99ed}
Transferred to another supervisor leaving UOC, NZ
xiv.
Tara Dalefield
(UC Masters)
01/03/2017
Prof Anthony Butler 60{eca436d86c222ab3e9dab4c32851a5f0e8b92f21bb36ef315e982b8f746c99ed}
Dr Aamir Raja 40{eca436d86c222ab3e9dab4c32851a5f0e8b92f21bb36ef315e982b8f746c99ed}
Completed
(30/05/2018)
xv.
Emily Searle
(UC Masters)
1/02/2017
Prof Anthony 60{eca436d86c222ab3e9dab4c32851a5f0e8b92f21bb36ef315e982b8f746c99ed}
Dr Aamir Raja 40{eca436d86c222ab3e9dab4c32851a5f0e8b92f21bb36ef315e982b8f746c99ed}
Completed
(28/02/2018)
xvi.
Osama Sikandar Khan (NUST MS-Level)
15/06/2022
Dr Amer Kashif
Dr Aamir Younis Raja
Ongoing
xvii.
Farhat
(NUST MS-Level)
15/07/2022
Dr Amer Kashif
Dr Aamir Younis Raja
Ongoing
Completed PhD Thesis with titles:
1. Kenzie Baer., (2021), Quantitative spectral (MARS)CT imaging of cartilage and bone health, PhD Thesis. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Musculoskeltal Medicine. University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand
2. Shishir Dahal., (2021), Characterization of atherosclerotic plaque with MARS Imaging, PhD Thesis. Department of Radiology. University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand
3. Aysouda Matanaghi., (2021), Bone-related applications of spectral photon counting CT, PhD Thesis. Department of Radiology. University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand
4. Fatima Asghariomabad., (2020), Motion measurement algorithms for MARS imaging, PhD Thesis. Department of Radiology. University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand
5. Chiara Lowe., (2020), MARS Molecular Imaging: Potential clinical utility of spectral photon-counting CT integrated with nanoparticle technology, PhD Thesis. Department of Radiology. University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand
6. Maya Rajeswari Amma., (2020), Study of the bone-metal interface in orthopaedic applications using spectral CT, PhD thesis. Department of Radiology. University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand.
7. Emmanuel Marfo., (2019), Development of a Monte-Carlo based tool for dosimetry studies with spectral scanners, PhD Thesis. Department of Radiology. University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand
8. Mahdieh Moghiseh., (2018), Optimisation of spectral CT data acquisition for novel applications of nanoparticles, PhD Thesis. Department of Radiology. University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand
Completed Master Thesis with titles:
11. Tara Dalefield., (2018), Assessment of bone ingrowth in titanium implants using MARS spectral CT, Master of Science in Medical Physics. University of Canterbury, New Zealand
22. Emily Searle., (2018), Quantitative imaging of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque using MARS Spectral CT, Master of Science in Medical Physics. University of Canterbury, New Zealand
PhD studentships are available.
