University of Liverpool Researcher Awarded £2.1m Fellowship to Advance Magnetic Imaging Tracers

University of Liverpool Researcher Awarded £2.1m Fellowship to Advance Magnetic Imaging Tracers

(IN BRIEF) Dr Liam O’Brien from the University of Liverpool has secured a £2.1 million EPSRC Open Fellowship to develop advanced magnetic nanoparticle tracers for next-generation medical imaging. The interdisciplinary project combines expertise in physics, chemistry and nanomedicine to improve the sensitivity and functionality of magnetic particle imaging, while also exploring industrial applications such as formulation testing and biomaterial imaging.

(PRESS RELEASE) LIVERPOOL, 12-Jan-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — University of Liverpool physicist Dr Liam O’Brien has been awarded a prestigious £2.1 million Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Open Fellowship to advance the development of next-generation magnetic nanoparticle tracers for medical imaging and formulation testing. The fellowship supports a major interdisciplinary effort aimed at overcoming current limitations in magnetic tracer technologies and unlocking new possibilities for ultra-sensitive imaging applications.

The project draws on combined expertise from the University’s Departments of Physics and Chemistry and will focus on designing novel magnetic nanoparticle tracers based on advanced magnetic composite materials. These materials are derived from thin-film magnetic devices similar to those widely used in everyday technologies such as mobile phone sensors and hard disk drives. By translating these established magnetic technologies into the nanoscale, the research aims to deliver tracers with significantly improved performance.

The newly developed tracers are expected to enhance the sensitivity, spatial resolution and functional capabilities of magnetic particle imaging (MPI) and related detection techniques. Such improvements could open the door to new forms of functional imaging where existing methods, including MRI, face technical constraints.

At the heart of the project is a close collaboration within the University’s Magnetic Materials Laboratory in the Department of Physics, bringing together specialists in thin-film growth and magnetic nanoparticle detection. This work is complemented by expertise in nanomedicine and nanoparticle synthesis from the research group of Dr Marco Giardiello in the Department of Chemistry, who serves as co-investigator on the project. Together, the teams will translate recent advances in magnetic materials science into cutting-edge nanoparticle designs suitable for biomedical use.

Dr O’Brien highlighted the clinical and technological motivation behind the research, noting that while magnetic tracer-based imaging offers a promising alternative to established imaging techniques, current approaches rely on a limited set of materials that are not optimised for clinical translation. The fellowship will allow the team to develop dedicated new tracers while also building capability in high-throughput magnetic material testing, an emerging area of strength at the University of Liverpool.

Beyond medical imaging, the project will collaborate with industry partners to explore broader applications for the nanoparticles. These include commercial formulation stability testing, rheological measurements and functional imaging of biomaterials. The research will also benefit from close engagement with the Materials Innovation Factory and the Centre of Excellence for Long-Acting Therapeutics Global Health, helping to maximise translational impact.

Professor Laura Harkness, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Head of the Faculty of Science & Engineering, welcomed the award, noting that the project reflects Dr O’Brien’s collaborative and interdisciplinary approach and builds on the University’s strengths in magnetic materials and nanomedicine to accelerate innovation in medical imaging technologies.

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SOURCE: University of Liverpool