From the director

In CHyM, we tackle fundamental sensitivity issues associated with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The sensitivity of these two techniques is limited by the fact that only a small proportion of the molecules in a sample or patient can be detected. For instance in a clinical 1.5 T MRI scanner only 1 in 200,000 molecules provide a response. In CHyM we employ hyperpolarisation techniques to prepare chemicals which have significantly higher responses in NMR and MRI, enabling greater sensitivity, shorter data collection times, higher resolution images and greater image contrast.

Within CHyM there is world-leading expertise in inorganic chemistry (inorganic synthesis mechanistic studies, catalysis, process chemistry and photochemistry), organic chemistry (synthesis, synthetic methodology development), physical chemistry (NMR pulse sequence development, kinetic studies, theoretical modelling), and medical applications (MRI imaging techniques, neuroimaging, MEG). CHyM draws together these strands of expertise to develop hyperpolarisation techniques such as PHIP, SABRE and DNP to solve the fundamental sensitivity issues of NMR and MRI.

Funding from the Wolfson Foundation, the Wellcome Trust and the University of York has enabled the establishment of CHyM with the infrastructure required to support world-class research as well as state-of-the-art NMR, MRI and polarisation equipment. Further funding from the Wellcome Trust has enabled the appointment of a team of interdisciplinary scientists to pursue fundamental research and its translation to address chemical and medical problems.

Finally, one of CHyM's core aims is to engage with the wider industrial and academic scientific communities to access the benefits associated with our hyperpolarisation research. In addition to significant research council and charity funding, now totalling in excess of £10m, we maintain a large number of collaborations with major academic and industrial partners.

Professor Simon Duckett
CHyM director

From the director

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