Gambhir Symposium on Radiochemistry, Molecular Imaging and Theragnostics
March 11-12, 2024
Li Ka Shing Center, Berg Hall
Stanford University School of Medicine
About this Event
We cordially invite you to join Stanford University in a celebration of a major milestone in Dr. Sanjiv Sam Gambhir’s vision for Stanford’s leading translational molecular imaging and theragnostics program. Championed by Sam and Aruna Gambhir, and leaders from Stanford Medicine and the Department of Radiology, completion of the expansion of Stanford’s Cyclotron and Radiochemistry Facility (CRF) is capped by a state-of-the-art GE Healthcare PETtrace cyclotron.
On March 11, 2024, please join us for an afternoon gathering in honor of Sam and Aruna. There will be tributes and talks about some of their impactful imaging approaches while enjoying some of their personal interests, including gelato and rock music.
On March 12, 2024, we are hosting a symposium to explore new directions in the field of molecular imaging and theragnostics with a focus on research in the areas of neuroscience, immunology, oncology, and innovative technologies. This meeting of academic and industry scientists will highlight the potential impact of new radiochemistry efforts on molecular imaging and radiopharmaceutical therapy.
We hope you can join us for this special occasion.
Tribute Agenda | March 11
Celebration of Sam and Aruna Gambhir
Agenda subject to change. Please check back for updates.
10:00am – 12:00pm
Tours of nuclear medicine clinic and radiopharmaceutical research facilities
12:00pm – 1:00pm
Lunch and time to connect
1:00pm – 1:20pm
Opening Remarks
1:20pm – 2:40pm
Science and life inspired by Sam and Aruna Gambhir
2:40pm – 2:50pm
Break
2:50pm – 3:50pm
Personal reflections on Sam and Aruna Gambhir
3:50pm – 4:15pm
Closing Remarks
4:15pm
Group Photo
4:15pm – 5:30pm
Rock Music and Gelato Reception
Symposium Agenda | March 12
Symposium, CRF Tour & Reception
Agenda subject to change. Please check back for updates.
8:00am – 9:00am
Continental Breakfast & Check-in
9:00am – 9:05am
Welcome
Jason Thanh Lee, PhD is the Deputy Director of the Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford University (MIPS). Previously, he was Director of the Stanford Center for Innovation in In vivo Imaging small animal imaging facility, and Assistant Professor of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology and Director of its Preclinical Imaging Technology Center facility in the Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging at UCLA. He is expert in multimodality molecular imaging and instrumentation, notably in radiopharmaceutical research with training in the NIH R25T Molecular Imaging: Training for Oncology Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Dr. Lee received both his Ph.D. in Molecular and Medical Pharmacology and B.S. in Electrical Engineering at UCLA where he developed novel PET imaging methods for in vivo pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics. He has consulted cancer institutes as an external advisory committee member of their shared resources. Dr. Lee is a member of the committee for the implementation and long-term strategy for Stanford Radiology’s theranostics research program and Cyclotron and Radiochemistry Facility (CRF) expansion. He is incoming chair of the WMIS educational sub-committee tasked with increasing accessibility of molecular imaging throughout the world and a member of the WMIS LGBTQ+ subcommittee leadership.
9:05am – 9:25am
Opening Remarks
Lloyd B. Minor, MD, is the Carl and Elizabeth Naumann Dean of the Stanford University School of Medicine. With his leadership, Stanford Medicine has established a strategic vision to lead the biomedical revolution in Precision Health, a fundamental shift to more proactive and personalized health care that empowers people to lead healthy lives. His book, “Discovering Precision Health,” published in 2020, highlights how biomedical advances are dramatically improving our ability to treat and cure complex diseases. Dr. Minor also is a professor of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery and a professor of Bioengineering and of Neurobiology, by courtesy, at Stanford University. With more than 160 published articles and chapters, Dr. Minor is an expert in balance and inner ear disorders. In 2012, he was elected to the National Academy of Medicine.
Dr. Sam Wald is the Chief Administrative officer of Clinical Operations, Vice-President for Pharmacy, Imaging, and Perioperative and Interventional Services. He is also the Associate Chief Medical Officer for Perioperative and Interventional Services at Stanford Health Care with operational and medical oversight for the patient operating and hybrid rooms, 4 surgery centers and an inpatient endoscopy center. He practices both pediatric and adult anesthesia as a Clinical Professor of Anesthesiology in the Stanford School of Medicine at both SHC and Lucile Packard Hospitals. Also, he serves as the medical director for the hospital operations center which manages the inpatient census and under the umbrella of his VP role.
Elizabeth Oyekan, PharmD, FCSHP, CPHQ received her Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Southern California and Bachelors of Science in Biochemistry from Loma Linda University. She also completed an Administrative and Clinical Residency at Kaiser Permanente and Executive Leadership Program at Harvard University. Elizabeth is a Faculty Member at the Institute of Healthcare Improvement (IH). Elizabeth had various executive roles at Kaiser Permanente including Regional Vice President of Operations and Quality, National Quality Leader for Pharmacy, Director of Pharmacy, Administrator for Surgical & Perioperative Services and Population Health Management. She joined Stanford Health Care in July 2022 and is the Vice President of Pharmacy and Imaging Services and the Chief Pharmacy Officer for Stanford Health Care and Stanford Health Care-Valley Care.
David B. Larson, MD, MBA, is Professor of Radiology (Pediatric Radiology) and Executive Vice Chair in the Department of Radiology at Stanford University. He also serves as the Associate Chief Quality Officer for Improvement for Stanford Health Care, overseeing improvement training programs at SHC. Dr. Larson is a national thought leader in radiology quality improvement and patient safety, and a regular speaker regarding topics ranging from pediatric CT radiation dose optimization to radiology peer learning. He is the founder of Stanford’s Realizing Improvement through Team Empowerment (RITE) program and co-founder of the Clinical Effectiveness Leadership Training (CELT) program, continuing to serve as co-executive director of both programs. He also founded and leads the Stanford Medicine Improvement Capability Development Program (ICDP) and the Advanced Course in Improvement Science (ACIS).
Dr. Larson is the founder and program chair for the annual Radiology Improvement Summit held annually at Stanford, which began in 2015. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the American Board of Radiology, overseeing quality and safety, and on the Board of Chancellors for the American College of Radiology as the chair of the ACR’s Commission on Quality and Safety. He also founded and leads the ACR Learning Network, which was launched in 2021.
9:25am – 10:45am
Session 1: Neurology and Neuroscience
Heterogeneity and resilience in early Alzheimer’s disease processes: insights from human aging cohorts
Episodic memory changes in both healthy aging as well as in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) dementia. Importantly, we are able to measure the key pathological features of AD in living humans using biofluids and PET imaging, and have established that these pathologies are common in many older individuals that are clinically unimpaired (i.e. do not have a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment or dementia). We have demonstrated that clinically unimpaired individuals with abnormal biomarkers of AD show subtle reductions in episodic memory performance as well as increased risk of progression to impairment when followed longitudinally. We also find effects of AD biomarker positivity in key brain regions that support successful memory as measured with functional MRI. However, many individuals show resilience to AD pathology and remain clinically unimpaired even after extensive follow up, whereas others show heightened vulnerability to decline in the face of these pathologies. Using a multi-modality approach in healthy older individuals, our research program aims to characterize the initial stages of disease processes as well as define drivers of resilience in the face of pathological burden.
Dr. Beth Mormino is a neuroscientist that applies multimodality imaging and biofluid techniques to understand disease progression and the neural correlates of behavioral and cognitive changes that occur in disease. Her primary research focus is on the intersection between Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and human aging. In 2017, Dr. Mormino joined the faculty at Stanford University in the Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences. She currently leads the Imaging Core of the Stanford Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and co-directs the Stanford Aging and Memory Study.
Overcoming the Exhausted T-cells in GBM
Dr. Michael Lim is a Professor and Chair of Neurosurgery at Stanford University. Dr. Lim obtained his MD from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He then completed his residency in Neurosurgery at Stanford University Hospital and went on to become a Professor of Neurosurgery, Oncology and Radiation Oncology at Johns Hopkins before returning to Stanford as Chair. Dr. Lim’s surgical interest is in both benign and malignant brain tumors, with a particular interest in gliomas (including ependymoma), meningioma, pituitary tumors and skull base tumors. He has extensive experience in new and innovative neurosurgical techniques including image guided surgery, microsurgery, minimally invasive procedures and endoscopic surgery. Dr. Lim’s primary research interest is developing immune-based therapies against brain tumors. His research laboratory is focused on understanding the mechanisms of immune evasion by primary brain tumors. Findings from his laboratory are directed towards translation to novel therapies against brain tumors. In addition to running a laboratory, he currently serves as the principal investigator of several large brain tumor immunotherapy clinical trials based on findings from his laboratory.
A Novel Nanomedicine Radiotracer for Selective Imaging of Activated Microglia in Regions of Neuroinflammation
Dr. Jeffrey Cleland has over 30 years of industry experience in research and development, including more than a decade at Genentech, Inc. While at Genentech, Dr. Cleland served in product development and manufacturing roles. He held important leadership roles in the successful approval of two drugs, Herceptin® and Nutropin Depot®, as well as in early work on Lucentis®, Avastin®, and Kadcyla®. He has held executive management positions and has managed directly all aspects of drug development and late-stage research. As a founder of Versartis, he led all aspects of translation including design and implementation of clinical trials. After Versartis, he led a Johns Hopkins University spin-out, Graybug Vision, into clinical translation of its lead product. Dr. Cleland co-founded Ashvattha Therapeutics with scientists at Johns Hopkins University leading the efforts to translate the hydroxyl dendrimer technology into products for unmet medical needs in neurology, ophthalmology and inflammation. He holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, Davis and a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Cleland has authored more than 100 articles and four books, and holds several issued patents. He has served as adjunct professor at the University of Colorado, the University of Kansas, University of Pacific and Utrecht University. He serves on the Boards of BIO, Elixirgen Therapeutics, and Syncomune and has advisory roles with small emerging biotechnology companies.
10:45am – 10:55am
LKSC Lobby
Break/Snack
10:55am – 11:50am
Session 2: Immunology
Illuminating Immune Responses in CNS Diseases using PET
Inflammation is a multifaceted, dynamic, and biologically necessary response to injury or infection. Transient inflammation can be beneficial, leading to the clearance of damaged cells, tissue repair, toxin neutralization, and mitigation of pathogens. However, insufficient resolution of inflammation can lead to progressive tissue damage via unrestrained production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, inflammasome activation, and generation of reactive oxygen species. Such harmful immune responses are a common hallmark of many chronic diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and Multiple Sclerosis. Likewise, harmful inflammatory reactions can significantly worsen outcomes in acute conditions like sepsis or stroke. Real-time monitoring of immune responses is critical to improve understanding and treatment of these diseases; however, current methods for detecting specific immune cells and their functional phenotypes in vivo are limited. In this talk I will highlight some recent advances on imaging immune responses in CNS diseases using positron emission tomography (PET) in both the preclinical and clinical research settings.
Dr. Michelle James is an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Radiology and Neurology, within the Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford University. She received her Bachelor of Science in Pharmacology and Organic Chemistry at the University of Sydney, where she also earned her PhD in Pharmacology and was awarded the University Medal. She served as the Co-Chair of the World Molecular Imaging Congress in 2021 and has received numerous awards for her research, teaching, and mentoring, including the Suffrage Science Award from the Medical Research Council in the UK, and the Exceptional Mentor Award from the American Medical Women’s Association in 2019. Dr. James’s research is focused on designing and translating novel molecular imaging agents for neurological diseases. As part of her work, Dr. James has multiple patented radiotracers, five of which are currently being used in clinical neuroimaging research studies at Stanford and around the world.
Visualizing immune responses using immunoPET
Understanding and harnessing immunology for detecting and addressing human disease remains a significant challenge due to the myriad cell types, pathways, signaling molecules, and other components involved in immune responses. Fortunately, immunology also provides versatile tools in the form of highly specific, high affinity antibodies. To adapt antibodies for use as radiotracers, we have produced engineered antibody fragments such as minibodies and diabodies that exhibit rapid targeting, accelerated clearance, and lack of biological effects. Engineered fragments recognizing T and B lymphocyte biomarkers (CD4, CD8, and CD20) have been labeled with positron-emitting radionuclides for immunoPET assessment of immune responses in preclinical models of stem cell transplantation, inflammatory bowel disease, and cancer immunotherapy. A Phase I study of CD8 immunoPET in cancer patients using Zr-89 crefmirlimab berdoxam (humanized anti-human CD8 minibody) provided visualization of normal lymphoid tissues as well as tumor infiltration by CD8+ cells. An ongoing Phase 2 study evaluates pre-treatment/on-treatment CD8 immunoPET and biopsy in patients initiating standard-of-care checkpoint inhibitor therapy. Several clinical trials are now in progress in immuno-oncology, infectious disease and autoimmunity, demonstrating the potential broad impact of CD8 immunoPET to assess immune responses and the efficacy of immunotherapies.
Anna M. Wu, PhD, is Professor and Chair, Department of Immunology and Theranostics at the Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope and the Fouad Kandeel Chair in Diabetes and Metabolism Research, Arthur Riggs Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute. She serves as Co-Director, Center for Theranostic Studies at the City of Hope. Dr. Wu is also an External Faculty Member of the Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford. She previously served as Professor and Vice Chair, Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, where she was also Director, Cancer Molecular Imaging Program, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and Co-Associate Director, Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging. She is a past Chair of the California Breast Cancer Research Council, Fellow and Past President of the World Molecular Imaging Society, and Fellow of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging. Dr. Wu’s research interests include engineered antibodies and proteins for targeting, imaging, and therapeutic applications in cancer and immunology, including the use of SPECT, PET, optical and multimodality and theranostic approaches. She is the Co-Founder of ImaginAb, Inc., which develops and commercializes radiolabeled antibodies for clinical use. Dr. Wu received her A.B. degree in Biochemical Sciences from Harvard University, and a Ph.D. from Yale University in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry. Postdoctoral studies were conducted at Yale University and at the University of California, San Francisco.
Twitter Dr. Wu »
#Minimab
11:50am – 12:50pm
Lunch
12:50pm – 2:15pm
Session 3: Oncology
Molecular Imaging and Radionuclide Therapy of Cancer
Dr. Corinne Beinat obtained her PhD in 2014 at the University of Sydney in medicinal chemistry. She the completed her postdoctoral fellowship under the mentorship of Dr. Sanjiv Sam Gambhir in radiochemistry and molecular imaging before joining the Molecular Imaging Program as Faculty in 2022. For over a decade, her research has explored the development of small molecules as therapeutics and imaging agents for various biological targets – an area at the interface of chemistry, pharmacology, cancer biology, and medicine. The overall goal of her research is to improve our knowledge, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer through the development of novel imaging strategies and targeted radionuclide therapeutics.
From Bench to Bedside: The Impact of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging on Patient Care in Oncology
Dr. Andrei Iagaru is a Professor of Radiology – Nuclear Medicine and the Chief of the Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging at Stanford University Medical Center. He completed medical school at Carol Davila University of Medicine, Bucharest, Romania, and an internship at Drexel University College of Medicine, Graduate Hospital, in the Department of Medicine in Philadelphia. He began his residency at the University of Southern California (USC) Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, in the Division of Nuclear Medicine. Dr. Iagaru finished his residency and completed a PET/CT fellowship at Stanford University’s School of Medicine in the Division of Nuclear Medicine. His research interests include PET/MRI and PET/CT for early cancer detection; clinical translation of novel PET radiopharmaceuticals; peptide-based diagnostic imaging and therapy; targeted radionuclide therapy. Since joining the faculty at Stanford in 2007, Dr. Iagaru has received several awards including the Society of Nuclear Medicine (SNM) 2009 Image of the Year Award; AuntMinnie 2016 Best Radiology Image, American College of Nuclear Medicine (ACNM) Mid-Winter Conference 2010 Best Essay Award; 2009, 2014 and 2015 Western Regional SNM Scientist Award; 2011 SNM Nuclear Oncology Council Young Investigator Award; the 2020 Sanjiv Sam Gambhir Distinguished Scientist Award, Western Regional SNM and the 2022 Sanjiv Sam Gambhir Trailblazer Award, SNMMI. Dr. Iagaru published more than 220 papers in peer-reviewed journals, as well as 9 book chapters and 1 book.
RefleXion Technology
Quynh-Thu Le, MD is the Katharine Dexter McCormick & Stanley McCormick Memorial Professor and Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at Stanford University. She co-directs the Radiation Biology Program of the Stanford Cancer Institute. Her clinical focus is on radiation management of head and neck cancer (HNC). She has led multicenter phase II and III clinical trials, testing the addition of novel drugs as well as radiosensitizer or radioprotector with chemoradiotherapy in HNC. Her lab works on approaches to regenerate salivary glands after radiation damage, identification of biomarkers of prognosis and treatment resistance in HNC, and development of novel treatment strategies for HNC with a focus on the tumor microenvironment and Galectin-1. She currently co-chairs the NRG Oncology Group of the NCI-sponsored National Clinical Trial Network (NCTN), which conducts practice-changing phase II-III trials in many cancers. Before that, she chaired the HNC Committee of NRG Oncology for ten years. She has received grant support from ASCO, ASTRO as well as P01, R01 and R21 grants from the NIH. She has served as a reviewer for several journals and NIH study sections. She has been actively involved in many national and international organizations such as ASTRO, ASCO and AARC and ARS. She was inducted into the Fellowship of the American College of Radiology (FACR), the American Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (FASTRO) and the Institute of Medicine / National Academy of Medicine (IOM/NAM). She was also honored with the Caltech Distinguished Alumni Award.
2:15pm – 2:30pm
LKSC Lobby
Break/Snack
2:30pm – 4:15pm
Session 4: Next-Generation Technologies
Personalized Molecular Imaging
Dr. Katherine Ferrara is Professor of Radiology and Division Chief of the Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford University. She previously served as the founding chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at UC Davis. Dr. Ferrara is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, Biomedical Engineering Society, Acoustical Society of America, World Molecular Imaging Society and American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering. Her publications include 300 manuscripts at the intersection of molecular imaging and biology. Her laboratory has received awards that include the IEEE UFFC Achievement Award, the IEEE Ultrasonics Rayleigh Award, the IEEE Biomedical Engineering Award, the WMIC Gold Medal, the Distinguished Investigator Award from the Academy for Radiology and Biomedical Imaging Research, and the Judith Poole Award from the Association of Women in Science. Her contributions include work in ultrasound imaging and therapy and the use of positron emission tomography in therapeutic protocols.
Possu Huang, PhD received his PhD from Caltech with the first demonstration of a computationally designed novel protein-protein interface. He subsequently conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Washington before starting his group at Stanford. His research focuses on advancing the understanding of proteins for the engineering of novel therapeutics and other protein-based nanotechnology. He has contributed to a large number of de novo designed proteins, most notably to the unlocking of the design principles behind the TIM barrel fold and the invention of eOD, an HIV immunogen design. His group uses machine learning, computational modeling, structural biology and experimental library optimization to continue the expansion of protein-based molecular platforms.
Technologies that enable the ability to interrogate multiple disease biomarkers in a single PET imaging session
Dr. Craig S. Levin is a Professor of Radiology and, by Courtesy, of Physics, Electrical Engineering, and Bioengineering at Stanford University, U.S.A. He is a founding member of the Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford, and Principal Investigator and Director of the NIH-NCI funded T32 Stanford Molecular Imaging Scholars postdoctoral training program. He received his M.S., M.Phil, and Ph.D. degrees in Physics from Yale University. An internationally recognized researcher in the field of molecular imaging he has over 200 peer-reviewed publications and 40 patents awarded or pending. He directs a 20-member laboratory that explores new concepts in instrumentation and software algorithms for molecular imaging, introduces some of these new tools into clinical and pre-clinical imaging studies of cancer, heart disease and neurological disorders, and partners with industry to disseminate some of these technologies into products used for patient care throughout the world. To support his research, he has generated numerous grant awards as Principal Investigator from government, industry, and private institutions. He lectured in a Nobel symposium in 2007, and in 2012 was elected into the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering’s College of Fellows, and also in 2012 was given the U.S. Academy of Radiology Research Distinguished Investigator Recognition Award. In 2020 he received the Edward J. Hoffman Medical Imaging Scientist award from the IEEE Nuclear and Plasma Sciences Society, and in 2023 he received the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Mars Shot Award.
PET system design: focus on outcomes
Floris Jansen received his PhD in physics from Cambridge University, and after three years of postdoctoral work as Fellow of Trinity Hall, joined IGE Medical Systems in 1990 to work on gamma cameras. Moving to the US in 1994, he expanded his role to include PET, then spent three years working on CT tubes, before joining GE Global Research in 2000. There, he managed the Functional Imaging Lab that created a pipeline of new detector and algorithm technologies that fed the PET and SPECT businesses of GEHC. In 2013 he became Chief Engineer for PET/MR, and oversaw technical aspects of the productization of the SIGNA PET/MR. In 2018 he added responsibility for the PET/CT business as Chief Scientist, Molecular Imaging. In that role he was instrumental in the vision and execution of the Omni PET/CT platform which became the fastest-selling PET system in the history of GE HealthCare.
4:15pm – 4:30pm
Closing Remarks
Dr. Helen Nadel is a dual board-certified Pediatric Radiologist and Nuclear Medicine Physician in both the USA and Canada. She holds certifications from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, The American Board of Radiology (ABR) with certificate of added qualification in Pediatric Radiology and the American Board of Nuclear Medicine (ABNM). Dr. Nadel was an Associate Professor of Radiology at University of British Columbia and had been practicing as a pediatric radiologist and pediatric nuclear medicine physician at British Columbia Children’s Hospital in Vancouver, British Columbia since 1983 after medical school at University of Manitoba (1977, Winnipeg, Manitoba), internship and residency at University of Toronto (1978-1982) and Pediatric Radiology fellowship (Chief Fellow) at Hospital for Sick Children (1982-1983, Toronto, Ontario). She has been working with the entire breadth of general and hybrid nuclear medicine studies in children in a fully integrated department of Pediatric Radiology and lecturing to promote this field for her entire career. Dr. Nadel currently uses PET/MRI exclusively for PET imaging at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford University (LPCH) and co-directs the clinical PET/MRI program at LPCH. Dr. Nadel has been inducted as a Fellow of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (FSNMMI). Dr. Nadel is the President of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.
Dr. Andrei Iagaru is a Professor of Radiology – Nuclear Medicine and the Chief of the Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging at Stanford University Medical Center. He completed medical school at Carol Davila University of Medicine, Bucharest, Romania, and an internship at Drexel University College of Medicine, Graduate Hospital, in the Department of Medicine in Philadelphia. He began his residency at the University of Southern California (USC) Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, in the Division of Nuclear Medicine. Dr. Iagaru finished his residency and completed a PET/CT fellowship at Stanford University’s School of Medicine in the Division of Nuclear Medicine. His research interests include PET/MRI and PET/CT for early cancer detection; clinical translation of novel PET radiopharmaceuticals; peptide-based diagnostic imaging and therapy; targeted radionuclide therapy. Since joining the faculty at Stanford in 2007, Dr. Iagaru has received several awards including the Society of Nuclear Medicine (SNM) 2009 Image of the Year Award; AuntMinnie 2016 Best Radiology Image, American College of Nuclear Medicine (ACNM) Mid-Winter Conference 2010 Best Essay Award; 2009, 2014 and 2015 Western Regional SNM Scientist Award; 2011 SNM Nuclear Oncology Council Young Investigator Award; the 2020 Sanjiv Sam Gambhir Distinguished Scientist Award, Western Regional SNM and the 2022 Sanjiv Sam Gambhir Trailblazer Award, SNMMI. Dr. Iagaru published more than 220 papers in peer-reviewed journals, as well as 9 book chapters and 1 book.
4:30pm – 5:00pm
Marguerite Shuttle Stop
Shuttle/Drive to 1701 Page Mill
5:00pm – 6:30pm
1701 Page Mill
Reception and Tour of Stanford’s New Cyclotron and Radiochemistry Facility
Dr. Gunilla B Jacobson is the Technical and Strategic Director of Cyclotron in the Department of Radiology at Stanford University. In this role she provides oversite and support for the CRF’s daily production and shared research capabilities at both the Lucas and Page Mill facilities. She advices the Radiology leadership on the future needs and strategic investments in the radiochemistry production capabilities as needed for clinical care, clinical research, and preclinical research.
Dr. Jacobson has a PhD in organic chemistry, and is now a Docent in Chemistry, at Uppsala University in Sweden. Her research focused on novel radiochemistry methods using short-lived isotopes (18F, 11C, 15O) for studies in humans and primates, with five tracers translated to first-in-human studies. She has extensive experience in the field of radiopharmaceutical and novel tracer development for molecular imaging, and in clinical translation. She previously worked for Dr. Sanjiv Sam Gambhir in leading the molecular imagining program at Stanford (MIPS) and led the translation of several Stanford developed radiotracers to international sites.
She has held several positions at Stanford University and the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, was a Technical Staff member at Los Alamos National Laboratory, and has experience of working in industry. She has over 20 years’ experience of translating research from academia, industry, and government laboratories to scalable products and first-in-human studies.
Dr. David Anders completed his PhD at Imperial College London on Carbon-11 Electrochemical Radiochemistry under the supervision of Dr’s Nick Long and Antony Gee. He then moved to Stanford to pursue his post-doc with Dr Sam Gambhir on using aptamers as radiotracers and multi-isotope imaging. Upon Sam’s untimely departure he moved into Kathy Ferrara lab and began working on imaging NK cells. He then moved into the Cyclotron and Radiochemistry Facility (CRF) where he worked as a Lead Radiochemist where his focus was on translating novel radiotracers for the benefit of Stanford’s patients. As the newly appointed Director of the Cyclotron and Radiochemistry Facility his focus is on bringing the new Cyclotron at the 1701 Page Mill Site online to further grow the potential of the CRF and benefit ever increasing numbers of patients.
Dr. Katherine Ferrara is Professor of Radiology and Division Chief of the Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford University. She previously served as the founding chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at UC Davis. Dr. Ferrara is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, Biomedical Engineering Society, Acoustical Society of America, World Molecular Imaging Society and American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering. Her publications include 300 manuscripts at the intersection of molecular imaging and biology. Her laboratory has received awards that include the IEEE UFFC Achievement Award, the IEEE Ultrasonics Rayleigh Award, the IEEE Biomedical Engineering Award, the WMIC Gold Medal, the Distinguished Investigator Award from the Academy for Radiology and Biomedical Imaging Research, and the Judith Poole Award from the Association of Women in Science. Her contributions include work in ultrasound imaging and therapy and the use of positron emission tomography in therapeutic protocols.
Travel Information
San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and San Jose International Airport (SJC) are the closest airports to Stanford University. They are both equally close.
Here is a list of local lodging options.
Here is a list of recommended local restaurants and activities.
Li Ka Shing Center, Berg Hall
291 Campus Drive
Stanford, CA 94305
We recommend taking public transportation (i.e., free Stanford shuttle) or using a ride-sharing service like Uber or Lyft to Stanford University if possible, as parking can be expensive and somewhat inconvenient.
If you choose to drive, visitor parking is available near LKSC. The closest parking lots to LKSC are the LKSC lot (Zone 7215), the Stock Farm lot (Zone 7217) and the Via Ortega Garage (Zone 7202). We recommend parking at the Stock Farm lot, as that has the most parking spaces. View map
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