Also a professor of biomedical engineering, Woodard focuses on imaging of atherosclerotic plaques to understand how inflammation affects plaques. She holds several patents for atherosclerosis imaging agents. She and her team have developed a PET radiotracer that detects a protein associated with plaques that may be unstable and prone to causing sudden major problems such as a heart attack or stroke. She now leads a clinical trial to evaluate the tracer in people. Woodard also is involved in evaluating novel PET agents to assess blood flow through heart muscle. Poor blood flow is a sign of cardiovascular disease that could cause serious problems such as heart attacks.

“In establishing this professorship, we are celebrating the legacy of Dr. Wilson and the accomplishments of the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, while also recognizing a truly phenomenal member of our faculty,” Perlmutter said. “The inaugural recipient, Dr. Woodard, like Dr. Wilson, is both a leader in the department and a phenomenal clinician who has demonstrated a deep commitment to the health and well-being of others.”


Woodard is a fellow of the American College of Radiology, the American Heart Association, the American College of Chest Physicians, and the North American Society for Cardiovascular Imaging. She has been named an Academy of Radiology Research Distinguished Investigator.

Woodard earned her bachelor’s degree and medical degree at Duke. She completed her internship in internal medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her residency in radiology at Duke before coming to Washington University for a clinical fellowship in cardiothoracic radiology. She joined the School of Medicine faculty in 1997.

Richard L. Wahl, MD, the Elizabeth E. Mallinckrodt Professor and head of the Department of Radiology and director of MIR, said Woodard is committed to improving patient care and mentoring the next generation of scientists — much as Wilson was.

“Dr. Woodard is an ideal choice as the first recipient of the Hugh Monroe Wilson Professor of Radiology,” Wahl said. “She is a distinguished physician-scientist, clinician and educator. Her work on cardiovascular imaging has had global impact, and she is a national leader in organized radiology. I’m delighted her many accomplishments can be honored by the awarding of this professorship, named after the highly impactful former director of MIR. I look forward to her future contributions facilitated by the resources of this professorship.”

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