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Hosted by EustonX: Ben Miller on Quantum Healthcare, NHS Innovation and the Future of Medical Diagnostics
How could quantum technology improve healthcare, enable earlier diagnosis and bring advanced medical testing closer to patients? In this episode of EustonX, we speak with Dr Benjamin Miller, Lecturer at University College London (UCL), about quantum healthcare and its potential to support the NHS, clinicians and patients.
Ben is part of Q-BIOMED, the UK Quantum Biomedical Sensing Research Hub. Led by UCL and the University of Cambridge, the Hub connects expertise from across universities, healthcare, science and industry to translate quantum research into practical biomedical applications.
During the conversation, Ben explains how Q-BIOMED is developing quantum-enabled technologies that could become useful to medicine and the NHS in the near term. Its research spans four main areas: biomedical imaging, in-vitro diagnostics, tools supporting surgical interventions, and fundamental biomedical research that can provide new insights into intracellular processes.
The episode explores why collaboration is essential to successful healthcare innovation. Physicists, engineers and researchers cannot develop effective medical technologies in isolation. Continuous dialogue with clinicians, health economists and healthcare decision-makers is needed to identify genuine clinical needs, design tools that fit within existing care pathways, and focus investment on solutions capable of delivering meaningful health and economic benefits.
Ben also discusses the potential for quantum sensing to increase access to diagnostics. Optically pumped magnetometers can measure tiny magnetic fields and could support forms of brain scanning without the super-cooled magnets associated with some conventional systems. Because these sensors can work at room temperature, they may eventually create opportunities for imaging and diagnostic services outside major hospitals and closer to local communities.
We also examine efforts to make in-vitro diagnostics, including lateral flow tests, significantly more sensitive while remaining robust and accessible. The long-term ambition is to bring laboratory-grade diagnostic capability into pharmacies, GP surgeries and potentially patients’ homes. This could support earlier detection, preventative healthcare and the NHS goal of moving more care from hospitals into community settings.
The conversation then turns to research translation, university spin-outs and the commercialisation of quantum technology. Ben outlines how Q-BIOMED supports interdisciplinary training, business development and collaboration so that promising discoveries can progress from university laboratories towards scalable healthcare products and services.
We also hear about the London Quantum Cluster, a collaboration involving UCL, King’s College London and Imperial College London that connects researchers with leaders in business and investment. Through shared facilities, laboratory space, commercial support and a stronger innovation network, the Cluster aims to accelerate the journey from scientific breakthrough to market-ready quantum technology.
Looking ahead to 2036, Ben shares a clear ambition: for quantum technologies to be used routinely in the NHS and healthcare more broadly, delivering positive outcomes for patients while generating lasting value for the UK economy.
EustonX brings together voices from academia, industry and investment to explore the technologies, partnerships and places shaping the quantum economy. Following an opening conversation focused on industry, this second episode turns to academia and the researchers working to convert advanced science into solutions for real-world challenges.
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