Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique which provides 2 and 3-dimensional anatomical information on soft tissues in a non-invasive manner. In the clinic, MRI relies upon small molecule contrast agents to enhance the image quality, enabling the diagnosis of neurological, cardiovascular and oncological disorders. However, these MRI contrast agents suffer from low sensitivity and fast excretion from the body. We have shown that these properties can be improved dramatically upon by linking the contrast agents to polymer scaffolds, thereby increasing their size and restricting their local motion. We have recently developed a novel synthetic strategy to create macromolecular MRI contrast agents with enhanced imaging capabilities, by using a combination of organic chemistry and controlled polymerisation techniques [1]. The resulting polymeric MRI agents display substantially higher image contrast compared to those used in the clinic, potentially allowing lower and safer doses of the contrast agent to be used. Building on this exciting work, this project will focus on synthesising small molecule contrast agents and incorporating them into responsive polymers, which are capable of reporting on physiological parameters such as local pH in human tissue, aiding the diagnosis and better understanding of diseases such as cancer.