Todd Peterson, PhD, Associate Professor of Radiology, was inducted this week as a Fellow of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI).
He was among 10 SNMMI members to receive the distinction of SNMMI Fellow at the Society’s Virtual Annual Meeting. According to the Society, Fellowship is bestowed to only a small percentage of SNMMI members for their contributions to nuclear medicine and molecular imaging, and the Society. Only 67 members have been honored with SNMMI Fellowship since its inaugural class in 2016.
“I am honored to be elected as a Fellow of SNMMI,” said Dr. Peterson. “These are exciting times in nuclear medicine, and my participation with the Society has provided a means for me to connect with, and contribute to, its many efforts in research, education and outreach.”
Since joining Vanderbilt in 2003, Dr. Peterson has served as Director of Nuclear Imaging for the Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science (VUIIS). In his role, he has provided leadership for the preclinical positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) research programs, as well as the human PET/computed tomography (CT) dedicated research scanner, which was installed in 2018. Most recently, in 2019, he was appointed Director of the VUIIS Radiochemistry Core Lab, where he oversees use of radiopharmaceuticals for molecular imaging, as well as the development of molecular probes for use with PET.
In addition, he is currently Chair of the SNMMI’s Committee on Publications, which is responsible for managing publication of the Society’s three journals, The Journal of Nuclear Medicine, The Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technologyand Molecular Imaging. He is also on the Board of Directors for SNMMI’s Center for Molecular Imaging Innovation and Translation, which he previously served as President.
“Dr. Peterson deserves this recognition because of his multiple contributions to both the science and technology of nuclear imaging, as well as to his profession and the Society,” said John Gore, PhD, Professor of Radiology and Director of VUIIS. “He is a leader in the design and development of advanced instrumentation for PET and SPECT, and has also provided sterling service to the organization and definition of molecular imaging.”
Dr. Peterson's research interests extend from the development of semiconductor radiation detectors for high-resolution nuclear imaging to preclinical and clinical applications of PET, SPECT, and CT imaging in oncology, pharmacology and diabetes.
He earned his doctorate from Indiana University Bloomington prior to completing a three-year postdoctoral research program at the Center for Gamma-Ray Imaging at the University of Arizona. He joins Vanderbilt Radiology colleagues Drs. Aaron Brill, Dominique Delbeke and Martin Sandler in the SNMMI Fellowship program.
