INVITED SPEAKERS

We are gathering a fantastic lineup of speakers and are excited to provide a platform for them to share their expertise, provide key insights and advice, and inspire. Details of invited speakers will be added as arrangements are confirmed.

Univ-Prof. Dr. Frederik Giesel, MD, MBA

Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf

Dr. med. Frederik L. Giesel, after graduating from medical school in Mainz and Heidelberg/GER Dr. Giesel went to the National Institutes of Health (NIH, Bethesda, USA) for his clerkship. The specialization (resident) began at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg with scientific visits to Texas University, USA and Sheffield University, UK, where he carries until today teaching activities in the field of imaging science. During his residency, he also completed a two year MBA-program at the Frankfurt School of Finance/ GER with several courses outside the country (London, Dubai, Tokyo, Boston). With the completion of specialist training (board certification) and habilitation he took a further specialization in the field of nuclear medicine at the University Hospital Heidelberg/ GER. Through his still close connection with the basic medical subjects (pre-clinical school) Dr. Giesel established the first to combine a series of seminars "Virtual Anatomy and Pathology" at the University of Heidelberg, the anatomy and pathology with diagnostic imaging.

Today, Dr. Giesel is now Chairman of the Nuclear Medicine Department at the University Hospital Düsseldorf/ GER and also is appointed at the Osaka University/ Japan. Recently, he was visiting professor at the Stanford University, USA and Yonsei University, South Korea. Dr. Giesel has published over 130 scientific work and holds several patents in the field of imaging science and is board certified in radiology and nuclear medicine. Furthermore, he acquired over the last years over 2.5 Mio Euro research funds in the field of imaging sciences and image post processing. Today, Dr. Giesel leads the Phase I/II Multi-Center Study of a new PET-Tracer which has been recently introduced into the clinical environment for prostate cancer patients (Prostate Specific Membrane Antigen [PSMA]).

Proudly Sponsored by:

Dr. Andrei Iagaru

Professor of Radiology - Nuclear Medicine and the Chief of the Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging at Stanford University Medical Center

Dr. Iagaru 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, where he was the chief resident. 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.

Over the past 14 years since joining the faculty at Stanford, 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; and a Stanford Cancer Center 2009 Developmental Cancer Research Award in Translational Science.

Dr. Iagaru presented more than 300 abstracts at national and international meetings and published more than 180 papers in peer-reviewed journals, as well as 7 book chapters and 1 book.

Proudly Sponsored by:

Dr. Michelle James

Assistant Professor, Department of Radiology (Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford) and Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences

Dr. James is an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Radiology and Neurology, within the Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS). She received her BS in pharmacology and organic chemistry at the University of Sydney, where she also earned her PhD in pharmacology and was awarded the University Medal. Most recently, 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.

For over fifteen years, Dr. James’s research has focused on designing, evaluating, and translating novel molecular imaging agents to improve the way we diagnose, treat, and understand neurological diseases. In particular, she is developing positron emission tomography (PET) radiotracers for detecting and tracking innate and adaptive immune cells in the context of neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory diseases (e.g., MS, AD, PD). As part of her work, Dr. James has multiple patented radiotracers, four of which are currently being used in clinical neuroimaging studies at Stanford and/or around the world.

She also co-founded a company called Willow Neuroscience which is focused on developing immunomodulatory therapeutics and novel PET diagnostics for neurodegenerative diseases.

Proudly Sponsored by:

Celebrating 30 Years of PET in Australia

Introduction of PET to Australia in 1992

Prof. Dale Bailey, former Governor-General Bill Hayden and wife Dallas with Prof. John Morris AO.

Prof. Dale Bailey

Dale Bailey is a physicist working in the field of nuclear medicine. He currently has appointments at both Royal North Shore Hospital (RNSH) in the Department of Nuclear Medicine, and at the University of Sydney in the Faculty of Medicine & Health. He also holds an honorary appointment in the Faculty of Science. Dale undertook post-graduate training at Harvard Medical School, Boston and post-doctoral training at Hammersmith Hospital in London with the Medical Research Council (UK).

His particular area of research interest is in quantitative functional imaging using radionuclide tracers – SPECT (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography) and PET (Positron Emission Tomography). He has been a pioneer of hybrid imaging of structure (morphology) and function (physiology), combining multiple modalities into a single imaging session. In addition to his research activity, Dale has been a dedicated teacher and mentor to 24 post-graduate students (incl. 11 PhD candidates) and numerous undergraduate and vocational students.

Dale has been a successful applicant with grant funding of nearly $13m since completing his PhD including $8m in the last five years. With the increasing utilisation of radionuclide therapies in cancer management in recent years, Dale has turned his attention to the biological effects of low dose rate radiation and quantifying radiation dosimetry to tissues. He is a former the Director of the Sydney Vital Translational Cancer Research Centre (Cancer Institute NSW), His current h-index is 55 with over 10,000 citations of his nearly 200 publications and 16 book chapters. Dale’s role is as a clinical scientist at RNSH and as a part-time academic with scope for R&D activities in his University role

Prof. Andrew Scott

Prof. Andrew Scott is Director, Department of Molecular Imaging and Therapy, Austin Health; leads the Tumour Targeting Program at the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute; and is Professor, University of Melbourne and La Trobe University.

His clinical and research interests are focused on molecular imaging in oncology, developing innovative strategies for targeted therapy of cancer, and advocacy for Nuclear Medicine and Oncology. His laboratory has been involved in the preclinical development and first-in-man trials of numerous recombinant antibodies in cancer patients, and seven antibodies developed in his laboratory have been licenced to Biotech and Pharma companies, and have entered Phase I/II/III trials.

He has published 405 peer reviewed papers and 27 book chapters, is an inventor on 24 patents, and is a founder of two biotech companies. Prof. Scott is a member of the Scientific Committee of ARTnet, and Federal Council member of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Nuclear Medicine. In 2017 he was awarded Member (AM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia, and elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences.

A/Prof. Roslyn Francis

A/Prof Francis is an academic Nuclear Medicine Physician. She is Associate Professor of Molecular Imaging with University of Western Australia, Deputy Director of WA NIF node and is Head of Department of Nuclear Medicine/ WA PET Service at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital.

A/Prof Francis obtained her medical degree in Australia before travelling to the UK to undertake a Cancer Research UK Clinical Research Fellowship and PhD at the Royal Free Hospital London on antibody therapies. A/Prof Francis has continued to pursue a combined clinical and research career, and has a particular interest in novel PET tracers, clinical trials, and imaging analytics.

A/Prof Francis is the scientific chair of Australasian Radiopharmaceutical Trials Network (ARTnet) She was elected President of Australian and New Zealand Society of Nuclear Medicine (ANZSNM) from 2018-2020, and is currently serving as Immediate Past President (2020-2022).

PIONEER Lecture

Anne McClenahan

Anne McClenahan has invested 43 years of her life in Nuclear Medicine – the first 17 as a technologist within both the public and private sectors, and the remaining 26 years as an applications specialist.

Anne started in Nuclear Medicine in 1978 as a trainee at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney, but moved to the newly opened Westmead Hospital the following year, completing the Certificate of Nuclear Medicine Technology at Sydney Technical College in 1980. After graduation, she taught one of the physics subjects at Sydney Technical College until it was replaced by the course at Sydney University.

While working at St Vincent’s Hospital, Anne’s reproducibility study of a BMD system won the Mallinkrodt Award that year and was involved in setting up the program to establish reciprocity between Australian and Canadian Nuclear Medicine Technologists.

Anne served as the secretary of the NSWSNMT committee for one term.

Anne’s computer programming degree allowed her to step into the position of Clinical Applications Specialist with Picker in 1994, which at the time, had only 6 gamma cameras installed in Australia. This grew to 54 by the time she left. The company morphed into Marconi, for whom Anne demonstrated software at many conferences around the world, and where she won the International Applications Specialist of the Year award. In this role, as well as Australia and New Zealand, Anne also supported South East Asia, China and India, which enabled her to see a great many Nuclear Medicine departments and a diversity of scans and procedures, not all of which she would recommend.

At the end of 2009, Anne joined Siemens, where she has worked in the Clinical Applications team for the last 11 (and most enjoyable) years of her career. She has provided clinical and technical support for users of Siemens Molecular Imaging systems, and due to the proliferation of hybrid scanners, has also ran courses in CT for Nuclear Medicine Technologists in every state in Australia.

Anne looks back on my time in this industry as highly rewarding and is very honored to be giving the Pioneer lecture this year.

Lowenthal Lecture

Professor Kenneth Miles

Ken Miles is Honorary Professor in the Institute of Nuclear Medicine, University College London and undertakes clinical work in Australia. He has dual-training in Radiology and Nuclear Medicine with wide experience in Positron Emission Tomography, having been involved in the establishment of four PET centres both in Australia and the UK. His research interests focus on the imaging on cancer, including the use of hybrid imaging for the discovery of biomarkers and radiomics. He has authored or co-authored more than 140 peer-reviewed scientific publications and is a past editor in chief of the journal Cancer Imaging.