Dr Franck Vidal

• Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education Arall
• PhD in Computer Science PhD
• Diplôme d'études approfondies Images et Systèmes Arall (Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon)
• Master of Science in Computer-Aided Graphical Technology Applications MSc (Teesside University)
• Diplôme d'Univérsite Ingienérie de l'Image Arall (Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne)
• Diplôme Universitaire de Technologie, spécialité génie logiciel Arall (University Claude Bernard Lyon I, Lyon)

Dr Franck P. Vidal achieved his PhD research in the School of Computer Science at Bangor University in January 2008. His research area addressed medical virtual environments, particularly for interventional radiology training. He has worked on a simulator for ultrasound guided needle puncture: BIGNePSi (Bangor Image Guided Needle Puncture Simulator).

Following up his PhD research, he worked as a research officer in the School of Computer Science at Bangor University where he collaborated on the implementation and validation of ImaGINe-S (Imaging Guided Interventional Needle Simulation), a VR Simulator for Visceral Needle Puncture funded under the Health Technology Devices (HTD) Programme. ImaGINe-S was awarded 2^nd place in the Eurographics 2009 Medical Prize “for its innovative use of computer graphics in a complex system that is already far advanced towards clinical use” (see here for a YouTube video to learn more about the simulator).

In late 2008, he joined the APIS team (Analyis of irregular Processes, Images and Signal, applications to biology and medicine) at INRIA Saclay—Île-de-France (the French national research institute in computer science and automation) where he was investigating the use of evolutionary algorithms in tomography for nuclear medicine.

In January 2010, Dr Vidal joined the SuperComputing Online Re-planning Environment (SCORE) project at the Department of Radiation Oncology of the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) where he developped Compton scattering computations on GPU.

In mid-February 2011, he joined the AVIZ (analysis and visualization) team at INRIA Saclay—Île-de-France. He was investigating multimodal visualisation of MRI data.

Dr Vidal was awarded a lectureship position at the School of Computer Science at Bangor University in October 2011. His research area is mainly focussing on computer graphics, visualisation and physically-based simulation, with a strong focus on medical imaging and medical physics (including tomogrphy reconstruction, X-ray imaging, soft tissue modelling).

2011->2015: ICP1030 - Computing fundamentals

2011->today: ICP1043 and ICP4143 - Information systems

2012->today: ICP4129 - Distributed systems (labs)

2015->today: ICP3038 - Computer Vision

My research interests include:

• Radiotherapy planning,
• medical virtual environment,
• computer graphics,
• haptics,
• GPU programming,
• image and signal processing,
• X-ray imaging,
• tomography,
• medical physics,
• evolutionary algorithms,
• interventional radiology training,
• Numerical simulation (e.g. X-ray imaging, soft-tissue deformation, respiration)

Some of my current and most recent past projects:

• 
  Fly4PET: Fly Algorithm in PET Reconstruction for Radiotherapy Treatment Planning
  
  
• 
  gVirtualXRay: Virtual X-Ray Imaging Library on GPU
  
  
• 
  Fly4Arts: Evolutionary arts using the Fly algorithm
  

• 
  RASimAs project: Regional Anaesthesia Simulator and Assistant

2019

• Accurate estimation of fish length in single camera photogrammetry with a fiducial marker
  
  Monkman, GG, Hyder, K, Kaiser, MJ & Vidal, FP 2019, 'Accurate estimation of fish length in single camera photogrammetry with a fiducial marker', ICES Journal of Marine Science. https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsz030

2018

• MRI Gastric Images Processing using a Multiobjective Fly Algorithm
  
  Al-Maliki, S, Lutton, E, Boue, F & Vidal, F 2018, 'MRI Gastric Images Processing using a Multiobjective Fly Algorithm' Paper presented at, Coimbra, 8/09/18, .
• Data exploration in evolutionary reconstruction of PET images
  
  Gray, C, Al-Maliki, S & Vidal, F 2018, 'Data exploration in evolutionary reconstruction of PET images', Genetic Programming and Evolvable Machines, vol. 19, no. 3, pp. 391-419. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10710-018-9330-7
• Evolutionary interactive analysis of MRI Gastric images using a multiobjective cooperative-coevolution scheme
  
  Al-Maliki, S, Lutton, E, Boue, F & Vidal, F 2018, Evolutionary interactive analysis of MRI Gastric images using a multiobjective cooperative-coevolution scheme. in Computer Graphics & Visual Computing (CGVC) 2018. The Eurographics Association, pp. 121-125. https://doi.org/10.2312/cgvc.20181216

2017

• Basic, Dual, Adaptive, and Directed Mutation Operators in the Fly Algorithm
  
  Abbood, Z & Vidal, F 2017, 'Basic, Dual, Adaptive, and Directed Mutation Operators in the Fly Algorithm' Paper presented at, Paris, 25/10/17 - 27/10/17, .
• Voxelisation in the 3-D Fly Algorithm for PET
  
  Abbood, Z, Lavauzelle, J, Lutton, E, Rocchisani, J-M, Louchet, J & Vidal, F 2017, 'Voxelisation in the 3-D Fly Algorithm for PET', Swarm and Evolutionary Computation, vol. 36, pp. 91-105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.swevo.2017.04.001
• gVirtualXRay: Virtual X-Ray Imaging Library on GPU
  
  Sujar, A, Meuleman, A, Villard, PF, Garcia, M & Vidal, F 2017, gVirtualXRay: Virtual X-Ray Imaging Library on GPU. in Computer Graphics & Visual Computing (CGVC) 2017. The Eurographics Association, pp. 61-68, Manchester, 14/09/17. https://doi.org/10.2312/cgvc.20171279
• Evolutionary Art Using the Fly Algorithm
  
  Abbood, Z, Amlal, O & Vidal, F 2017, Evolutionary Art Using the Fly Algorithm. in G Squillero & K Sim (eds), Applications of Evolutionary Computation. vol. Part I, Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol. 10199, Springer Berlin Heidelberg, pp. 455-470, Amsterdam, 19/04/17. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-55849-3_30

2015

• Development and validation of real-time simulation of X-ray imaging with respiratory motion
  
  Vidal, FP & Villard, PF 2015, 'Development and validation of real-time simulation of X-ray imaging with respiratory motion', Computerized Medical Imaging and Graphics, vol. 49, pp. 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compmedimag.2015.12.002
• Reconstruction in Positron Emission Tomography
  
  Vidal, FP, Rocchisani, JM, Jia, X (ed.) & Jiang, SB (ed.) 2015, Reconstruction in Positron Emission Tomography. in Graphics Processing Unit-based high performance computing in radiation therapy. CRC Press, pp. 185-208.
• Visualisation of PET data in the Fly Algorithm
  
  Vidal, FP, Abbood, ZA & Rocchisani, JM 2015, 'Visualisation of PET data in the Fly Algorithm' Paper presented at, 3/01/01, . https://doi.org/10.2312/vcbm.20151227
• Simulated Motion Artefact in Computed Tomography
  
  Villard, P, Vidal, FP & Villard, PF 2015, 'Simulated Motion Artefact in Computed Tomography' Paper presented at, 3/01/01, . https://doi.org/10.2312/vcbm.20151228

2014

• Interventional radiology virtual simulator for liver biopsy
  
  Villard, F, Vidal, FP, Ap-Cenydd, L, Holbrey, R, Pisharody, S, Johnson, S, Bulpitt, A, John, NW, Bello, F & Gould, D 2014, 'Interventional radiology virtual simulator for liver biopsy', International Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 255-267. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11548-013-0929-0

2013

• Artificial Evolution Strategy for PET Reconstruction
  
  Vidal, FP, Pavia, YL, Rocchisani, J-M, Louchet, J & Lutton, É 2013, Artificial Evolution Strategy for PET Reconstruction. in International Conference on Medical Imaging Using Bio-Inspired and Soft Computing (MIBISOC2013). Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Springer, Brussels, Belgium, pp. 37-48, Brussels, 15/05/13.
• Automatic tuning of respiratory model for patient-based simulation
  
  Vidal, FP, Villard, P-F & Lutton, É 2013, Automatic tuning of respiratory model for patient-based simulation. in International Conference on Medical Imaging Using Bio-Inspired and Soft Computing (MIBISOC2013). Brussels, Belgium, pp. 225-231, Brussels, 15/05/13.
• The Research Institute of Visual Computing, RIVIC
  
  John, NW, Jones, M, Martin, R, Vidal, FP & Zwiggelaar, R 2013, The Research Institute of Visual Computing, RIVIC. in JC Torres & A Lécuyer (eds), Eurographics 2013 - Lab Presentation. The Eurographics Association, Girona, Spain, Girona, 6/05/13. https://doi.org/10.2312/conf/EG2013/lab/L08

2012

• Tuning of Patient-Specific Deformable Models Using an Adaptive Evolutionary Optimization Strategy
  
  Vidal, FP, Villard, PF & Lutton, E 2012, 'Tuning of Patient-Specific Deformable Models Using an Adaptive Evolutionary Optimization Strategy', IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, vol. 59, no. 10, pp. 2942-2949. https://doi.org/10.1109/TBME.2012.2213251
• A Method to Compute Respiration Parameters for Patient-based Simulators
  
  Villard, P-F, Vidal, FP, Bello, F & John, NW 2012, A Method to Compute Respiration Parameters for Patient-based Simulators. in Proceeding of Medicine Meets Virtual Reality 19 - NextMed (MMVR19). vol. 173, Studies in Health Technology and Informatics, IOS Press, Newport Beach, California, pp. 529-533, Newport Beach, 9/02/12.

2011

• GPU Accelerated DRR Computation with Scatter
  
  Vidal, FP, Folkerts, M, Freud, N & Jiang, S 2011, 'GPU Accelerated DRR Computation with Scatter', Medical Physics, vol. 38, no. 6, pp. 3455-3456. https://doi.org/10.1118/1.3611828

2010

• Flies for PET: An Artificial Evolution Strategy for Image Reconstruction in Nuclear Medicine
  
  Vidal, FP, Louchet, J, Rocchisani, J-M & Lutton, É 2010, 'Flies for PET: An Artificial Evolution Strategy for Image Reconstruction in Nuclear Medicine', Medical Physics, vol. 37, no. 6, pp. 3139. https://doi.org/10.1118/1.3468200
• Joint Simulation of Transmission X-ray Imaging on GPU and Patient's Respiration on CPU
  
  Vidal, FP, Villard, PF, Garnier, M, Freud, N, Létang, JM, John, NW & Bello, F 2010, 'Joint Simulation of Transmission X-ray Imaging on GPU and Patient's Respiration on CPU', Medical Physics, vol. 37, no. 6, pp. 3129. https://doi.org/10.1118/1.3468154
• ImaGINe-S: Imaging Guided Interventional Needle Simulation
  
  Vidal, FP, Garnier, M, Freud, N, Létang, JM & John, NW 2010, ImaGINe-S: Imaging Guided Interventional Needle Simulation. in Eurographics 2010 - Poster. The Eurographics Association, Norrk"oping, Sweden, pp. Poster 5011, Norrkoping, 3/05/10. https://doi.org/10.2312/egm.20091024
• Artificial Evolution for 3D PET Reconstruction
  
  Vidal, FP, Lazaro-Ponthus, D, Legoupil, S, Lutton, E, Rocchisani, JM, Collet, P (ed.), Monmarche, N (ed.), Legrand, P (ed.) & Schroeauer, M (ed.) 2010, Artificial Evolution for 3D PET Reconstruction. in Artifical Evolution. 2010 edn, Springer Berlin Heidelberg, pp. 37-48. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-14156-0_4
• New Genetic Operators in the Fly Algorithm: Application to Medical PET Image Reconstruction
  
  Vidal, FP, Louchet, J, Rocchisani, JM, Lutton, E, DeChio, C (ed.), Cagnoni, S (ed.), Ctta, C (ed.), Ebner, M (ed.), Ekárt, A (ed.), Esparcia-Alcazar, AI (ed.), Goh, CK (ed.), Merelo, JJ (ed.), Neri, F (ed.), Preuß, M (ed.), Togelius, J (ed.) & Yannakaki, GN (ed.) 2010, New Genetic Operators in the Fly Algorithm: Application to Medical PET Image Reconstruction. in Applications of Evolutionary Computation. 2010 edn, Springer Berlin Heidelberg, pp. 292-301. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-12239-2_30
• Threshold Selection, Mitosis and Dual Mutation in Cooperative Co-evolution: Application to Medical 3D Tomography
  
  Vidal, FP, Lutton, E, Louchet, J, Rocchisani, JM, Schaefer, R (ed.), Cotta, C (ed.), Kołodziej, J (ed.) & Rudolph, G (ed.) 2010, Threshold Selection, Mitosis and Dual Mutation in Cooperative Co-evolution: Application to Medical 3D Tomography. in Parallel Problem Solving from Nature: PPSN XI. 2010 edn, Springer Berlin Heidelberg, pp. 14-423. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-15844-5_42

2009

• The Role of Simulation in Medical Training and Assessment
  
  Sinha, A, Flood, K, Kessel, D, Johnson, S, Hunt, C, Woolnough, H, Vidal, FP, Villard, P-F, Holbray, R, Crawshaw, CM, Bulpitt, A, John, NW, Bello, F, Phillips, R & Gould, DA 2009, The Role of Simulation in Medical Training and Assessment. in Radiological Society of North America 2009 (RSNA 2009). Chicago, Illinois, Chicago, 29/11/09.
• A prototype percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography training simulator with real-time breathing motion
  
  Villard, PF, Vidal, FP, Hunt, C, Bello, F, John, NW, Johnson, S & Gould, DA 2009, 'A prototype percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography training simulator with real-time breathing motion', International Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery, vol. 4, no. 6, pp. 571-578. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11548-009-0367-1
• Percutaneous Transhepatic Cholangiography Training Simulator with Real-time Breathing Motion
  
  Villard, P-F, Vidal, FP, Hunt, C, Bello, F, John, NW, Johnson, S & Gould, DA 2009, 'Percutaneous Transhepatic Cholangiography Training Simulator with Real-time Breathing Motion' Paper presented at, Berlin, 23/06/09 - 27/06/09, pp. S66-S67. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11548-009-0367-1
• ImaGiNe-S: Imaging Guided Needle Simulation
  
  Bello, F, Bulpitt, A, Gould, DA, Holbrey, R, Hunt, C, John, NW, Johnson, S, Phillips, R, Sinha, A, Vidal, FP, Villard, P-F & Woolnough, H 2009, ImaGiNe-S: Imaging Guided Needle Simulation. in Eurographics 2009 - Medical Prize. The Eurographics Association, Munich, Germany, pp. 5-8, Munich, 30/03/09. https://doi.org/10.2312/egm.20091024
• Developing An Immersive Ultrasound Guided Needle Puncture Simulator
  
  Vidal, FP, Villard, P-F, Holbrey, R, John, NW, Bello, F, Bulpitt, A & Gould, DA 2009, Developing An Immersive Ultrasound Guided Needle Puncture Simulator. in Proceeding of Medicine Meets Virtual Reality 17 (MMVR17). vol. 142, Studies in Health Technology and Informatics, IOS Press, Long Beach, California, pp. 398-400, Long Beach, 19/01/09.

2008

• Simulation of ultrasound guided needle puncture using patient specific data with 3D textures and volume haptics
  
  Vidal, F, John, NW, Healey, AE & Gould, DA 2008, 'Simulation of ultrasound guided needle puncture using patient specific data with 3D textures and volume haptics', Computer Animation and Virtual Worlds, vol. 19, no. 2, pp. 111-127. https://doi.org/10.1002/cav.217
• Physics-based virtual environment for training core skills in vascular interventional radiological procedures
  
  John, NW, Luboz, V, Bello, F, Hughes, C, Vidal, FP, Lim, IS, How, TV, Zhai, J, Johnson, S, Chalmers, N, Brodlie, K, Bulpit, A, Song, Y, Kessel, DO, Phillips, R, Ward, JW, Pisharody, S, Zhang, Y, Crawshaw, CM & Gould, DA 2008, Physics-based virtual environment for training core skills in vascular interventional radiological procedures. in Proceeding of Medicine Meets Virtual Reality 16 (MMVR16). vol. 132, Studies in Health Technology and Informatics, IOS Press, Long Beach, California, pp. 195-197, Long Beach, 29/01/08.

2007

• Interactive Physically-based X-ray simulation: CPU or GPU?
  
  Vidal, FP, John, NW & Guillemot, RM 2007, Interactive Physically-based X-ray simulation: CPU or GPU? in Proceeding of Medicine Meets Virtual Reality 15 (MMVR15). vol. 125, Studies in Health Technology and Informatics, IOS Press, Long Beach, California, pp. 479-481, {Long Beach, 6/02/07.

2006

• Principles and applications of computer graphics in medicine.
  
  Vidal, FP, Bello, F, Brodlie, KW, John, NW, Gould, D, Phillips, R, Avis, NJ & Hirsch, T 2006, 'Principles and applications of computer graphics in medicine.', Computer Graphics Forum, vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 113-137.

2005

• Investigation of artefact sources in synchrotron microtomography via virtual X-ray imaging
  
  Vidal, FP, Letang, JM, Peix, G & Cloetens, P 2005, 'Investigation of artefact sources in synchrotron microtomography via virtual X-ray imaging', Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms, vol. 234, no. 3, pp. 333-348. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2005.02.003
• Developing a needle guidance virtual environment with patient specific data and force feedback
  
  Vidal, FP, Chalmers, N, Gould, DA, Healey, AE & John, NW 2005, Developing a needle guidance virtual environment with patient specific data and force feedback. in Proceeding of the 19th International Congress of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery (CARS'05). vol. 1281, International Congress Series, Elsevier, Berlin, Germany, pp. 418-423, Berlin, 22/06/05. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ics.2005.03.200

2019

• Array (Journal)
  Associate Editor
  15 May 2019 →
  Activity: Editorial activity (Editorial board member)
• Inria - Nancy
  Invited researcher at Inria (postponed to Summer due to conflict with Brexit date)
  Apr 2019
  Activity: Visiting an external academic institution (Visiting researcher)
• Evelyne Lutton
  Monitoring of the stomach content based on MRI data
  25 Feb 2019 – 15 Mar 2019
  Activity: Hosting an academic visitor (Host)
• Francois Boue
  Monitoring of the stomach content based on MRI data
  25 Feb 2019 – 15 Mar 2019
  Activity: Hosting an academic visitor (Host)

2018

• Computer Graphics & Visual Computing 2018
  - attended conference.
  - chair session
  - decided who got the awards with the other programme chair
  13 Sep 2018 – 14 Sep 2018
  Activity: Participation in conference (Speaker)
• Evelyne Lutton
  Application of the Fly Algorithm to MRI image analysis of food bolus
  12 Feb 2018 – 26 Feb 2018
  Activity: Hosting an academic visitor (Host)
• Francois Boue
  Expert validation of the Fly Algorithm applied to food bolus Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  12 Feb 2018 – 26 Feb 2018
  Activity: Hosting an academic visitor (Host)

2017

• Basic, Dual, Adaptive, and Directed Mutation Operators in the Fly Algorithm
  25 Oct 2017 – 27 Oct 2017
  Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)
• UK Chapter of the Eurographics Association (EGUK) (External organisation)
  Webmaster
  18 Sep 2017
  Activity: Membership of committee (Chair)
• UK Chapter of the Eurographics Association (EGUK) (External organisation)
  Secretary
  15 Sep 2017 →
  Activity: Membership of committee (Chair)
• gVirtualXRay: Virtual X-Ray Imaging Library on GPU
  14 Sep 2017
  Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)
• Computer Graphics & Visual Computing 2018 (Event)
  Programme chair
  Sep 2017 – Sep 2018
  Activity: Editorial activity (Editorial board member)
• Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine (Journal)
  Peer reviewing
  Jul 2017 – Aug 2017
  Activity: Publication peer-review (Editorial board member)
• Conference Program co-chair
  2017
  Activity: Types of External academic engagement - Membership of peer review panel or committee (Chair)

2013

• P.F. Villard
  Respiration Modelling
  May 2013 – Jun 2013
  Activity: Hosting an academic visitor (Host)

2008

• Developing a virtual environment for training in visceral interventional radiology
  11 Jun 2008 – 13 Jun 2008
  Activity: Types of External academic engagement - Invited talk (Speaker)

• Training Simulator for Transperineal Ultrasound Guided Biopsy
• Fly4PET

• 2011, AVIZ Team at INRIA Saclay - Ile-de-France, France: multi-modal visualization of neuroimaging data (inc. T2 MRI, DTI, fMRI, etc.)
• 2010/2011, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), CA, USA: use of high performance computing in radiotherapy re-planning, particularly physically-based simulation of radiation/matter interactions using GPU programming
• 2008/2009, Fondation Digiteo, INRIA Saclay-Ile-de-France and CEA Saclay, France: Tomo3D-EA - Evolutionary algorithms and particle physics modelling in fully-3D tomographic reconstruction for nuclear medicine
• 2006-2008, School of Computer Science, Bangor University, UK: Development and validation of a virtual reality simulator for training in interventional radiological visceral needle puncture procedures
• 2003/2008, School of Computer Science, Bangor University, UK: Development of novel techniques for a virtual reality simulator for training in image-guided needle puncture procedures
• 2002/2003, Laboratory of Nondestructive Testing using Ionizing Radiations (CNDRI), INSA, Lyon, France: Modelling the response of an X-ray camera and developing a new method based on X-ray imaging simulations to investigate or predict artefacts in micro-tomography.