As nuclear medicine enters a transformative era defined by rapid innovation, expanding clinical impact, and unprecedented growth, few are better positioned to guide the field than SNMMI's president-elect, Dr. Jean-Luc Urbain.

In this exclusive Q&A with HCB News, Urbain reflects on the moment that ignited his interest in nuclear medicine, and why this specialty is currently experiencing a “banner year.” He also outlines the key challenges facing the field—from workforce shortages to fragile isotope supply chains—and the Society’s bold initiatives to expand access, integrate AI, and ensure nuclear medicine continues to evolve as a cornerstone of precision healthcare.

With the SNMMI Annual Meeting just around the corner, he also offers tips for making the most of this global gathering of nuclear medicine leaders, innovators, and advocates.

HCB News: Who or what inspired you to follow a career in healthcare?
Dr. Jean-Luc Urbain: I was born in Europe about ten years after WWII ended. My mother had two brothers, and one of them—my godfather—caught polio when he was just a teenager. At that time, in the 1950s, the Sabin and Salk vaccines weren’t available yet, and there was no real treatment other than supportive care. He spent a year or two in an iron lung just to survive.

He made it through, but the illness left him with major deformities in his chest and spine.

It’s something that has always stayed with me.

My godfather had dreamed of becoming a doctor, but because of his significant disability and limited financial resources, he wasn’t able to pursue that path. His dreams and aspirations were passed down to me from a very young age.

Becoming a doctor and caring for patients became my dream too—and a major driving force during my teenage years.

HCB News: What drew you to nuclear medicine?
JLU: Back in medical school, my favorite subjects were physiology, histology, pathophysiology, and histopathology. I was fascinated by how the human body works, what causes diseases, and how we could help people who are suffering. That passion is what led me to choose a residency in internal medicine.

During my internship year, something very personal happened—my wife was diagnosed with a thyroid nodule. She was seen by an endocrinologist who also chaired the nuclear medicine department at our university hospital. That experience made a real impression on me and inspired me to start a research project studying the frequency of thyroid cancer in cold nodules.

During my internal medicine residency at the Academic Hospital of the Catholic University of Louvain, I found myself increasingly drawn to the world of medical imaging. Nuclear medicine, in particular, caught my attention. I was fascinated by how we could use molecules that are part of the body’s natural processes to diagnose disease. At that time, nuclear medicine played a central role in diagnosing thyroid disorders, bone diseases, pulmonary embolisms, and coronary artery disease, to name just a few.

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