MBR Health operates the Philips IQon Spectral CT — the first spectral CT scanner introduced into private radiology practice in Australia. This pioneering position places MBR Health at the forefront of spectral CT research and clinical application in the Asia-Pacific region, enabling our team to develop, validate and clinically apply spectral CT protocols that go beyond the diagnostic capability of conventional CT imaging.
Led by Dr Zane Sherif and supported by our senior radiographers and clinical research team, our spectral CT research program spans novel biomarker development, dose reduction strategies, opportunistic health assessment and oncology-focused diagnostic pathways. Beyond advancing our own clinical protocols, MBR Health is actively contributing to the development of next-generation spectral CT technology — working at the intersection of clinical practice and technological innovation to shape the future direction of CT as a diagnostic modality.
Research programmes described on this page represent active investigator-initiated research conducted at MBR Health. While Spectral CT is an established clinical imaging modality, certain research applications and novel protocols described on this page may be investigational in nature and are not yet supported by established clinical guidelines for routine use.
Research programs are conducted within an appropriate ethical and regulatory framework. Participation or access to specific research protocols is subject to clinical assessment and eligibility criteria. MBR Health does not guarantee specific diagnostic or clinical outcomes from participation in any Spectral CT research program.
MBR Health’s spectral CT research is organised across five focus areas, each addressing a distinct clinical need or advancing the diagnostic capability of spectral CT beyond conventional imaging.
Spectral CT generates quantitative imaging data unavailable from conventional CT, enabling the development of novel diagnostic biomarkers with significant clinical potential. MBR Health's research investigates spectral biomarkers including iodine density mapping, material decomposition and quantitative tissue characterisation across oncology and diagnostic pathways. Of particular interest is the potential of spectral biomarkers to characterise cancer receptor types and differentiate pseudoprogression from true disease progression. This is an important emerging area that has significant implications for oncology treatment planning and response assessment.
MBR Health is advancing spectral CT protocols that significantly reduce both radiation and contrast dose without compromising diagnostic integrity. Our optimised injection protocols combined with virtual non-contrast reconstructions allow all diagnostic phases to be performed in a single acquisition — reducing cumulative patient exposure and improving scan efficiency.
Every CT scan represents an opportunity to extract additional diagnostic value beyond the primary clinical indication. MBR Health's opportunistic health assessment research investigates spectral CT biomarkers for metabolic and cardiovascular health — including visceral fat quantification, liver fat assessment, sarcopenia and aortic calcification — identified incidentally during scans performed for other clinical reasons. We are also actively developing non-gated calcium scoring on lung CT, enabling cardiovascular risk assessment without additional radiation exposure or dedicated cardiac scanning.
MBR Health has documented case study experience investigating spectral CT for breast lesion characterisation, including incidental breast lesions identified on chest and lung CT examinations. Our research also investigates spectral CT for breast implant integrity assessment in patients who are not compatible with MRI — providing a viable diagnostic alternative for a patient population with limited conventional imaging options.
Spectral CT provides a powerful oncology imaging tool, delivering quantitative tissue characterisation, iodine density mapping and virtual non-contrast capability within a single examination. MBR Health's oncology research develops and validates spectral CT diagnostic pathways for lesion characterisation, treatment response assessment and staging — with active case study work in lung and prostate cancer imaging informing protocol development and structured reporting frameworks.
PHILIPS IQON SPECTRAL CT AT MBR HEALTH MBR Health’s spectral CT research is conducted on the Philips IQon, the first spectral CT scanner in Australian private practice. The IQon simultaneously acquires conventional and spectral data in a single scan, enabling virtual non-contrast reconstructions, iodine density mapping, material decomposition and quantitative tissue characterisation without additional radiation exposure or repeat scanning.
Dr Sherif’s exclusive injection protocol innovation enables multi-phase anatomically contiguous imaging in a single acquisition, significantly reducing both radiation and contrast dose without compromising diagnostic integrity. This proprietary protocol, developed at MBR Health, represents a meaningful advancement in spectral CT clinical application unavailable at conventional CT facilities. MBR Health is also developing non-gated calcium scoring on lung CT, enabling cardiovascular risk assessment simultaneously with lung imaging without additional radiation exposure or dedicated cardiac scanning.
Conventional CT remains a vital diagnostic tool, but multiple acquisitions, cumulative radiation exposure and contrast requirements place real burden on patients. Spectral CT addresses each of these limitations in a single scan. By acquiring conventional and spectral data in a single scan, the Philips IQon detector-based Spectral CT enables quantitative tissue characterisation, virtual non-contrast reconstructions and novel biomarker evaluation without additional radiation exposure or repeat scanning.
For patients, this means fewer scans and more diagnostic information from a single examination. For clinicians, it means greater diagnostic confidence that conventional CT simply cannot provide. As Australia’s first private practice Spectral CT facility, we are uniquely positioned to lead this transition and contribute to the next generation of CT technology development.
Dr Zane Sherif, Specialist Radiologist Dr Zane Sherif leads MBR Health’s spectral CT research programme as Clinical Research Lead, bringing pioneering expertise in spectral CT clinical application, protocol development and novel biomarker research. As the clinical lead of Australia’s first private practice spectral CT programme, his work spans the following:
His research is grounded in real-world clinical application, with case study documentation across multiple spectral CT domains informing both current practice and future research directions.
Our advanced Spectral CT research is relevant to a broad range of clinicians, researchers and industry partners. Select your area below to understand how MBR Health’s work may benefit your practice or program.
Spectral CT provides quantitative tissue characterisation, iodine density mapping and virtual non-contrast capability within a single examination — supporting more precise oncology staging, lesion characterisation and treatment response assessment. We welcome referrals and research collaborations from oncologists and haematologists seeking advanced CT diagnostic pathways.
Conventional CT IVP and KUB studies traditionally require multiple acquisition phases — non-contrast, arterial, venous and delayed — resulting in significant cumulative radiation exposure for patients. Spectral CT at MBR Health reduces this to a single acquisition pass, capturing all four phases simultaneously through spectral reconstruction. This delivers the complete diagnostic information of a conventional multi-phase CT IVP or KUB study at a fraction of the radiation dose, representing a meaningful advancement in patient safety for a study that is among the highest dose conventional CT examinations in common urological practice.
Our lung CT research incorporates opportunistic cardiovascular risk assessment through non-gated calcium scoring — extracting maximum diagnostic value from a single examination. We also have active case study experience in incidental lung lesion characterisation using spectral biomarkers. We welcome collaboration with respiratory physicians interested in advanced lung CT protocols.
MBR Health has documented case study experience in spectral CT breast lesion characterisation, including incidental findings on chest and lung CT. We also offer spectral CT breast implant integrity assessment for patients who are not MRI compatible. We welcome referrals and research collaborations from breast surgeons and radiologists with an interest in spectral CT breast imaging applications.
Our non-gated calcium scoring research on lung CT enables opportunistic cardiovascular risk assessment without dedicated cardiac scanning or additional radiation exposure. We welcome collaboration with cardiologists and general practitioners interested in opportunistic cardiovascular screening pathways.
MBR Health welcomes collaboration with clinician-scientists and higher-degree researchers seeking access to Australia’s first private practice spectral CT research program. Our facility offers research-grade spectral CT infrastructure, active case study foundations and translational research expertise across six spectral CT domains.
We collaborate with imaging technology companies and medical device partners on spectral CT protocol development, novel biomarker validation and next-generation CT technology development. Our position as Australia’s first private practice spectral CT facility makes MBR Health a uniquely valuable real-world validation partner for industry.
If you have been referred for a CT examination, are concerned about radiation or contrast exposure, or would like to understand whether spectral CT may offer diagnostic advantages for your condition, we welcome your enquiry. Our team is experienced in explaining the benefits of spectral CT in plain language and can discuss whether it is appropriate for your clinical needs.
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Philips IQon Spectral CT installed at MBR Health in 2021, making MBR Health the first private radiology practice in Australia to offer spectral CT clinical and research capability.
Meeting the highest standards of laboratory and imaging accreditation in Australia.
All R&D staff hold active Good Clinical Practice certification ensuring regulatory compliance across every study.
Working with leading global imaging technology partners on next-generation spectral CT development.
Across oncology, opportunistic health assessment, breast imaging and dose reduction programs.
Every protocol developed at MBR Health is validated through direct clinical application and real-world patient care.
Actively shaping the future development of spectral CT as a diagnostic modality.