This year’s Lennart Nilsson Award for scientific photography, yet another prestigious prize administered by Karolinska Institutet, went to Swedish physician Anders Persson, MD, PhD, in recognition “of his innovative techniques for capturing 3-D images inside the human body.” When we looked through his pictures on the award’s website, we were quite amazed.
The following is from a press statement by Karolinska Institutet:
In selecting Anders Persson, the board of the Lennart Nilsson Award Foundation stated “Persson’s imaging methods combine cutting-edge technology with great creativity and educational value. He reveals the hidden mysteries of the body with unique precision, producing images that can be understood and interpreted by the lay public and experts alike.” Dr Persson is Director of the Center for Medical Image Science and Visualization (CMIV) at Linköping University and the University Hospital in Linköping, Sweden, where he has developed 3-D imaging technology with considerable success. Dr Persson and his colleagues produce their images of the inside of the human body using a combination of imaging techniques including magnetic resonance, ultrasound and positron emission tomography. After capturing these initial images, Persson compiles them into pictures of great clarity that are rich in data.
The CMIV’s techniques open up completely new avenues for forensic medical experts to conduct analyses that are much quicker and simpler than conventional methods. Persson’s spectacular 3-D images have been featured prominently on CSI, a popular TV series about a team of forensic scientists.
Dr Anders Persson (born 1953) began his career as an X-ray lab assistant in Bollnäs, Sweden, after leaving upper secondary school. He so enjoyed this work that he passed up the opportunity to study at the Royal Institute of Technology in order to train as a radiology nurse.
After working as a nursing instructor with Karolinska Institutet’s Radiology Assistant program, he went on to become a radiologist. For several years he worked as a consultant and senior consultant in Hudiksvall before becoming the head of radiology for the Hälsingland region.
In 2002, he was recruited by Linköping University to develop the CMIV and in 2005 earned his doctorate in the field of 3-D imaging. The CMIV has since expanded, and now comprises 70 research scientists and 30 postgraduates.
Check out more info, mind blowing pictures and videos at 2008 Lennart Nilsson Award…
Press release: Swede honoured with photography prize for virtual autopsy techniques…