University Institute of Diagnostic, Interventional and Pediatric Radiology

Inselspital Bern

The Department fulfills the tasks of a university institution in patient care, teaching, and research, and also provides outpatient care services. These include individual cutting-edge medical services, namely in interventional radiology.

To the Inselspital website

Director 

Prof. Johannes Heverhagen

Profile

  • Teaching medical students, biomedical engineering students, FaGes, and radiographers
  • Currently performing 19 self-initiated studies and supporting approx. 207 ongoing clinical studies
  • Research topics include lung, liver, MSK, forensic, vascular, artificial intelligence, contrast media, multiparametric imaging, advanced image analysis, structured reporting, digitalization of workflow, and non-invasive tissue characterization with multiparametric MRI
  • Aiming at prevention, diagnostic improvement, navigation during intervention, as well as treatment and workflow planning

External Partners

Berner Fachhochschule (BFH); Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Italy; Departments of Radiology and Biomedical Engineering at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, USA; Duke University Hospital, Dept. of Radiology, NC, USA; EPFL/CHUV Lausanne; ETH Zürich; Mechanical Systems Engineering, EMPA, Dübendorf; Radiological Physics, Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Basel; Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology (CSEM), Bern; Switzerland Innovation Park, Biel; Swiss Working Group for Clinical Cancer Research (SAKK), Bern; University of Heidelberg, Germany; Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA

Grants

  • HORIZON - MSCA Doctoral Networks 2024 - Thromborisk - From cells to systems: Pioneering multi-level thrombosis risk prediction models, Prof. H. von Tengg-Kobligk (Associated Partner)
  • Insel – CTU Nachwuchsförderungs Grant - Novel Adrenal Imaging with Ultra-High-Field Magnetic Resonance Imaging at 7 Tesla, Dr. F. Haupt (PI)
  • Bracco - Qualitative and quantitative evaluation of contrast-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance using Gadobutrol and Gadopiclenol in comparison, PD Dr. A. Peters (PI)
  • SNSF (IICT) - Randomized placebo-controlled trial to assess efficacies of EMPAgliflozin and personalized dietary counseling for kidney STONE prevention in patients with calcium kidney stones (EMPASTONE), Prof. Dr. A. Christe (PI)
  • SNSF (Project funding) - PRISM-FILD: Precision Medicine through Redefinition of Diagnosis and Management using Integrated Systems and Multilevel Data in fibrosing interstitial lung diseases (fILD), Prof. Dr. A. Christe and Prof. Dr. S. Mougiakakou (PIs)
  • Innosuisse - Development of a locally deployed, webbased semantic search engine for the radiology workstation, Prof. Dr. A. Christe and Dr. G. Cereghetti (PIs)
  • Bracco - Prospective, randomized, single-blind, monocentric, non-inferiority study of gadopiclenol (Vueway®) contrast agent performance vs. gadobutrol (Gadovist®) in the workup of incidental renal and adrenal findings (IRAF-WORKUP Study), Prof. Dr. A. Christe and Dr. G. Cereghetti (PIs)
  • CSEM_BMCC2026 - Meno-FIT (Menopause Fitness, Imaging & Tracking) Developing biomarkers of muscle health in menopause: Integrating wearable monitoring with quantitative MRI, Prof. Dr. J. Bastiaansen

Highlights 2025

Contribution of Labrum and Cartilage to Joint Surface in Different Hip Deformities An Automatic Deep Learning–Based 3-Dimensional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Analysis

This study paves the way for a more in-depth understanding of the underlying pathomechanism and a reliable 3D analysis of the hip joint that can be indicative for surgical decision-making in patients with hip deformities.

Meier et al., Am J Sports Med. 2025

Partial volume effect on kidney stones and lung nodules in CT imaging

This study highlights the potential risks associated with inaccurate raw data postpro­cessing of CT images with objects that are particularly sensitive to the partial volume effect (PVE), such as kidney stones and high-density calcifications (Agatston score).

Christe et al., PLoS One. 2025

Diagnostic accuracy of rib fracture detection in forensic post-mortem photon counting CT

Compared with autopsy as the gold standard, UHR-PMPCCT showed an overall higher sensitivity and slightly higher specificity for rib fracture diagnosis than conven­tional PMCT.

Lombardo et al., Int J Legal Med. 2026

High-Resolution Peripheral Quantitative Computed Tomography (HR-pQCT) for Assessment of Avascular Necrosis of the Lunate

While limited by small sample size, this study provides preliminary evidence supporting HR-pQCT as a complementary imaging tool in the assessment of lunate avascular necrosis (AVN), with potential to improve early detection, staging accuracy, and individualized treatment strategies.

Rothenfluh et al., J Imaging. 2025

Enhancing safety in CT-guided lung biopsies: correlation of MinIP imaging with pneumothorax risk prediction

The assessment of MinIP images is superior, and in combination with relative quantitative measurement of radiodensity for access route planning, it can reduce the risk of pneumothorax in CT-guided lung biopsies.

Brönnimann et al., Insights Imaging. 2025