From May 30 to June 2, the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) will hold its annual meeting at the Los Angeles Convention Center, bringing together an array of experts from across the industry.

From groundbreaking research to legislative initiatives and evolving best practices, there will be much to discuss. In order to get a glimpse at what the meeting has in store, and what the organization will be focused on looking ahead to the next year, HealthCare Business News spoke with president-elect, Dr. Heather Jacene.

She is Section Chief of Molecular Imaging and Theranostics at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, clinical director of Nuclear Medicine and PET/CT and senior physician at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and associate professor of radiology at Harvard Medical School, and now she is the incoming president of the Society for Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI).
HCB News: Who or what inspired you to follow a career in healthcare?
Heather Jacene: As a student, I was always drawn to science and math. In college, I studied molecular biology, which introduced me to the building blocks of medicine—things like genetics, cells, and bacteria. I also spent time in a research lab studying how muscle develops, which connects to diseases like Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Around that same time, both of my grandmothers were diagnosed with cancer. That experience made what I was learning feel very real. I became fascinated by how the body usually works so precisely, and how even a small change in a cell can lead to something as serious as cancer.

Seeing my family go through that also gave me a firsthand look at patient care. I saw how advances in science can directly improve people’s lives. That combination (understanding the science, contributing to innovation, and making a meaningful impact on patients) is what ultimately drew me to healthcare.

HCB News: What drew you to nuclear medicine?
HJ: In medical school, I really enjoyed my rotations in pediatrics, radiation oncology, and imaging. During that time, I was lucky to meet a wonderful mentor, Dr. Jeffrey Kempf, a nuclear radiologist. He recognized my interests and introduced me to nuclear medicine, particularly radioimmunotherapy, and encouraged me to lean into both my curiosity and my interest in cancer care.

Nuclear medicine brought everything together for me. It felt like a field where you’re constantly piecing things together, using science, technology, and clinical insight to better understand what’s happening in the body and guide care.

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