Research Training Group (GRK2260) ‘BIOQIC’, BIOphysical Quantitative Imaging Towards Clinical Diagnosis, was established in 2017 and offers an interdisciplinary, cohort-wise, doctoral program in quantitative medical imaging. BIOQIC is internationally oriented and its mission is to teach and promote the skills required for the measurement of quantitative imaging markers by establishing an institutional framework for postgraduate training to foster interdisciplinary and translational research. BIOQIC has collaborative arrangements between research institutions, clinical sites of Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin including Europe's largest radiological department, and enterprises in medical imaging technology beyond the currently existing institutional borders.

The research program will advance medical imaging methods towards the system-independent quantification of the constitution and structure of biological soft tissues including vascular components, multiscale fluid motility as well as mechanical parameters.

Scientific training is offered in 15 individual projects from 3 project areas: ‘Fluid Transport’, ‘Tissue Mechanics’, and ‘Tissue Structures’. The training covers the quantitative analysis of image parameters related to biophysics and tissue structure over a wide range of spatial scales, from microscopic structures to macroscopic representation, measured by innovative imaging approaches.

BIOQIC guarantees multidisciplinary supervision by forming tandem teams of basic scientists and clinical experts. In order to overcome communication barriers, doctoral researchers will learn both, about the clinical challenges and how to respond to them with new approaches in quantitative imaging. The program is specifically designed to provide training in imaging sciences and to enhance skills that will help our trainees to become independent researchers.

In-depth training is provided through block courses in ‘Imaging Physics & Chemistry', 'Biophysics & Biomechanics’, and 'Mathematics & Signal Processing’, as well as continuous teaching in 'Clinical Translation' and ‘Enhanced Skills’. Exchange between researchers will be fostered by lab rotations, hands-on training, student-organized seminars, and workshops. Embedded within a top-rated teaching hospital, BIOQIC is uniquely suited to train and nurture the next generation of imaging scientists and research leaders for the advancement of biophysics-based, quantitative medical imaging.