The Molecular Imaging and Translational Research Program
The Mission
To establish a multi-disciplinary collaborative center for translational research and to apply novel biomarkers and state-of-the-art imaging to preclinical and clinical studies.
The Program
The program is organized into three principal components:
- Physics and Methodology,
- Radiopharmaceutical Development
- Applications for both animals and humans.
The Physics and Methodology component is directed by Dr. Townsend who is responsible for a number of PET instrumentation and methodology projects. The methodology group includes Josh Schaefferkoetter, BS, Graduate Research Assistant.
George Kabalka, PhD, Professor, The Robert H. Cole Neuroscience Chair and Director, Basic Research, Biomedical Imaging Center,
UT Graduate School of Medicine heads the radiotracer and biomarker development.
The $600,000 pre-clinical imaging facility is headed by Jonathan S. Wall, PhD, Director, Preclinical and Diagnostic Molecular Imaging Laboratory. The facility has four scanning suites with PET and SPECT/CT imaging capability, animal holding rooms and laboratory workspace. This research is supported by Stephen J. Kennel, PhD, radio- biochemist, Tina Richey, MS, small animal expert, and Alan Stuckey, BA, CNMT, research leader and imaging specialist, who operates the imaging devices and manages the facility.
The pre-clinical imaging program involves close collaboration with the UT College of Veterinary Medicine and the Human Immunology and Cancer Program of Alan Solomon, MD and Jonathan S. Wall, PhD. Establishing a strong animal imaging initiative for translational research is an essential part of the MITR Program mission. Oncologist Amy LeBlanc, DVM, Assistant Professor, Department of Radiology and Director of Translational Research, plays an instrumental role in meeting this goal by bridging the gap in translational research between micro imaging of small animal models and the imaging of clinical patients and can only be undertaken in an academic environment that includes a high-level veterinary college such as the one at UTCVM.
In addition to these pre-clinical imaging facilities, a state-of-the-art high resolution 6-slice PET/CT scanner with an advanced design offering improved sensitivity for PET imaging has been installed in the Cancer Institute at the UT Medical Center. This scanner is part of an NIH-funded collaborative initiative with Siemens Molecular Imaging. The scanner is used for both routine clinical and clinical research studies.
Operational aspects of the PET/CT research program are the responsibility of technologist Misty Long, RT(N)(R) and Chris Carr, RT(R), CNMT as the lead technologist responsible for operation of the scanner for clinical PET/CT studies. All administrative aspects are managed by Melissa Weaver. The primary focus of the MITR Program is the imaging of cancer, with a current workload of 5-7 clinical PET/CT scans per day and 2-3 research studies per week. However, the importance of PET imaging in other areas of clinical research is demonstrated by on-going projects in both cardiology with the collaboration of Myrwood Besozzi, MD, and in neuroscience with John Dougherty, MD. Current research projects in molecular imaging include monitoring response to chemotherapy with medical oncologist Wahid Hanna, MD, and staging head and neck cancer prior to surgery in collaboration with surgeon Eric Carlson, DMD, MD, FACS.
Research Objectives
Immediate research objectives in PET instrumentation include advances in PET/CT methodology and the assessment of the role of combined PET/CT imaging for a range of different cancers. This work with human subjects will be complemented by parallel studies involving specific animal models of cancer, and eventually the development of new molecular probes that target different aspects of tumor physiology and the effects of therapy in patients
Started at UT Graduate School of Medicine in 2003, the Molecular Imaging and Translational Research Program is now well-established and is expanding to contribute to other areas of research in which PET and PET/CT can play a significant role.
