The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) elected a new line-up of leaders during its 2013 Annual Meeting, held June 8-12 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, including new president-elect Peter Herscovitch.

At a press conference held on June 10th, Herscovitch outlined a goal to focus on the development of new radiopharmaceuticals. "As president-elect, I will make it a priority to continue the society's efforts to aid in this process, particularly for brain amyloid imaging radiopharmaceuticals," he said.

The new president-elect also presented the SNMMI Image of the Year — an image that encapsulates cutting-edge research in nuclear medicine. This year's image was a scan that illustrated the effectiveness of radium-223 dichloride in treating bone lesions in breast cancer patients.


"It shows how the combination of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging applications — radium-223 dichloride as therapy and FDG PET/CT for monitoring therapy response — an be beneficial for patients," said Herscovitch.

Herscovitch has served at the NIH Clinical Center since 1987 as a PET expert, and was appointed director of the PET Department in 2005. Prior to his tenure at NIH, Herscovitch served as a professor of neurology and radiology at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Mo.

Herscovitch recently served as SNMMI vice president-elect, and has also chaired SNMMI's Scientific Program Committee, served on the SNMMI Center for Molecular Imaging Innovation and Translation board of directors, and was a member of the Ethics and Education Committees. He received the Kuhl-Lassen Brain Imaging Award in 2000.

Herscovitch is also a widely published expert in the field, authoring over 145 peer-reviewed journal articles and three books. He is a member of numerous societies, including the Radiological Society of North America, American Academy of Neurology, and World Molecular Imaging Society.

He holds a medical degree from McGill University and is certified by the National Board of Medical Examiners and the Royal College of Physicians of Canada.

Other SNMMI officers elected for 2013-14 are Gary Dillehay, M.D., FACNM, FACR, Chicago, Ill.,as president; and Hossein Jadvar, M.D., Ph.D., MPH, MBA, FACNM, Pasadena, Calif., as vice president-elect. SNMMI Technologist Section officers for 2013-14 are Scott Holbrook, BS, CNMT, FSNMTS, Gray, Tenn., as; and April Mann, NCT, RT(N), FSNMMI-TS, South Hadley, Mass., as president-elect.

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