Seth Smith, PhD, earned a BS in Physics and a BS in Mathematics from Virginia Tech and a PhD in Biophysics ad Biophysical Chemistry from Johns Hopkins University. After earning his PhD, he joined the research faculty at Kennedy Krieger Institute at the F.M. Kirby Research Center where he remained until 2009.

In 2009, he joined the Vanderbilt faculty as Assistant Professor of Radiology, Biomedical Engineering and Physics. In 2015, he was appointed Associate Professor in Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Biomedical Engineering, and Ophthalmology. He was named to the 2017 class of Chancellor Faculty Fellows. Dr. Smith was appointed Associate Director of the Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Sciences (VUIIS) in 2018. In 2020, he was appointed Professor of Radiology and Radiological Sciences.

Since 2010, he has served as Director of the Center for Human Imaging at Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science. His research is focused on translation of advanced, quantitative MRI methods into human diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis and Optic Neuropathies focusing on quantitative assessment of the spinal cord and optic nerves at both high and low field strengths.

Section: Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science

Gary T. Smith, MD, is an honors graduate from the University of Tennessee. He earned his medical degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Dallas, Southwestern Medical School and completed residencies in Internal Medicine at the University of Tennessee Medical Center and in Nuclear Medicine at U.C.L.A. and U.T. Medical Center at Knoxville. He practiced at the University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine from 1990-2009 before joining the Vanderbilt faculty as Professor of Clinical Radiology and Radiological Sciences. He serves as the Chief, Nuclear Medicine and PET/CT at Nashville Veterans Administration Medical Center. His research interests include: PET/CT clinical applications and volumetric CT for quantification of lung nodule growth rate.

Section: Nuclear Medicine

David Smith, PhD, earned his BS in Physics and BA in Astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin before heading to Harvard University for an MA in Astronomy. He returned to UT-Austin to finish his PhD in Astrophysics, where he was National Science Foundation Graduate Fellow and Harrington Doctoral Fellow. After doing postdoctoral research in plasma astrophysics at the University of Arizona for two years, Dr. Smith came to Vanderbilt as a medical physics resident in radiation oncology. In 2010, he became a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, and was appointed Research Assistant Professor in 2014. His research is focused new techniques and applications for MRI in cancer imaging, in particular mathematical methods such as compressed sensing and machine learning.

Section: Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science

Sudha Singh, MBBS, MD, earned her MBBS from Sawai Man Singh Medical College in Jaipur, India. She earned her MD Radiodiagnosis after completing a residency in Radiodiagnosis from Sawai Man Singh Hospital. Following 3 years working within the U.K. as a House Officer, Dr. Singh completed a residency in Diagnostic Radiology at Long Island Jewish Medical Center and a fellowship in Pediatric Radiology at Schneider Children’s Hospital, Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She joined the Vanderbilt faculty in 2002 as Assistant Professor and was appointed Associate Professor in 2015. She is highly involved with the resident education and currently serves as the Director of Resident Education in Pediatric Radiology. She is a member of the Society of Pediatric Radiology, American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America, American Roentgen Ray Society, Association of University Radiologist, Cumberland Pediatric Foundation and the Tennessee Radiological Society.

Section: Pediatric Radiology

Chirayu Shah, MD, earned his medical degree from Meharry Medical College and completed residencies in Nuclear Medicine and Radiology from Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He joined the Vanderbilt faculty in 2012 as Assistant Professor of Radiology and Radiological Sciences. In 2019, Dr. Shah was promoted to Associate Professor.

Dr. Shah is passionate about resident education and molecular imaging. His research interests include discovery and implementation of new radiotracers for human use. He serves as an expert reviewer for the Journal of Nuclear Medicine and is a member of the American Roentgen Ray Society, American College of Radiology, Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, American College of Radiology and Radiology Society of North America.

Section: Nuclear Medicine

Saikat Sengupta, PhD, earned his MS in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Memphis and his PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Vanderbilt University. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship with Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science and joined the Vanderbilt faculty as Research Assistant Professor in 2015. Dr. Sengupta’s current research involves developing motion and field inhomogeneity robust methods for high field structural and functional MRI.

Section: Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science

Kurt Schilling, PhD, earned his PhD in biomedical engineering from Vanderbilt University, and completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science (VUIIS). In 2020, he joined the Vanderbilt faculty as Research Assistant Professor. Dr. Schilling's research is focused on image processing, biomedical modeling of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data, and mapping the human brain, with a focus on diffusion MRI data.

Section: Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science

Philip Scherer, MD, earned his undergraduate degree in Microbiology at Brigham Young University. He earned his medical degree from University of Florida College of Medicine. He completed a transitional year residency at University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where he served as a chief resident. He completed residency in Diagnostic Radiology at University of Florida College of Medicine and fellowship in Nuclear Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis.

From 2016-2020, Dr. Scherer practiced at Adventhealth Orlando and was an Instructor and Assistant Professor of Radiology at the University of Central Florida. During this time, he served as Chair of the Radiation Safety Committee, member of the Radiology Department Research and Quality and Safety committees, and Medical Director of the Adventist University Nuclear Medicine Technology Program. He joined the Vanderbilt faculty in 2020 as an Assistant Professor of Clinical Radiology & Radiological Sciences. Interests include general and therapeutic nuclear medicine, nuclear cardiology, PET CT, mentorship, teaching, and quality improvement. In 2021, he was appointed Associate Program Director of the Nuclear Medicine Residency at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC). In July 2022, he became the Program Director of the program. In 2023, Dr. Scherer was promoted to Associate Professor. He currently serves as a member of the Pharmacy, Therapeutics, and Diagnostics Committee and Radiology Department Quality and Patient Safety Committee at VUMC.

Dr. Scherer is a member of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI), American College of Nuclear Medicine (ACNM), and American College of Radiology (ACR). He currently serves on the Early Career Professionals and Membership Committees of the SNMMI and is a Council Member of the Southeastern Chapter of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SECSNMMI).

Asha Sarma, MD, is a honors graduate of Dartmouth College and earned her medical degree at the University of Utah. She completed a residency in Diagnostic Radiology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, during which she served as chief resident and received a resident teaching award, and fellowships in Pediatric Radiology and Pediatric Neuroradiology at Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School. Dr. Sarma joined the Vanderbilt faculty in 2018. On July 1, 2024, Dr. Sarma was promoted to Associate Professor.

Section: Pediatric Radiology

Martin P. Sandler, MBChB, is a fellow of the American Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, the American College of Nuclear Physicians and the College of Physicians South Africa and an honorary fellow of the South African College of Nuclear Medicine. He received the MB and ChB degrees from the University of Cape Town Medical School in 1972, serving as a resident physician in Medicine, Surgery, Cardiology and Neurology at Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa until 1978. He completed a fellowship in Endocrinology and Metabolism at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and subsequently completed residency and fellowship training in Vanderbilt’s Division of Nuclear Medicine. He joined the faculty as Assistant Professor of Radiology and Radiological Sciences in 1983. Dr. Sandler has served as Clinical Director of the Nuclear Medicine/PET Division, Director of the Nuclear Medicine Residency Training Program, Director of the Radiological Sciences Research Laboratory and Director of Clinical Nuclear Medicine. In 1992, he was appointed Vice-Chairman of the Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences after which he was named Chairman of the Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences and Carol D. and Henry P. Pendergrass Professor. He became Associate Vice-Chancellor for Hospital Affairs at Vanderbilt in 2006, having oversight of Vanderbilt Hospital, Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital, Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital and Stallworth Rehabilitation Hospital. In 2009, he returned to clinical practice as Professor of Radiology and Radiological Sciences. Dr. Sandler has been awarded 18 industry and government-funded grants and awards. He has served as editor for the Journal of Nuclear Medicine and president of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging. In addition, he has edited 9 textbooks, authored over 100 published manuscripts, 16 editorials, 62 textbook chapters, 83 scientific communications and presentations and five educational tapes.

Section: Nuclear Medicine