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Completion of major Siemens PET/CT
Datta Receives Award
research collaboration
At the end of December, researchers in the molecular imaging program completed a million dollar research collaboration with Siemens Medical Solutions. This collaboration provided novel PET/CT imaging technologies at the University of Tennessee Medical Center that has provided novel research publications as well as true clinical benefits to our patients. One example of the clinical impact of this collaboration was the expansion of patient access to advanced imaging technologies for respiratory motion correction. Prior to this collaboration, motion corrected studies were only performed when specifically requested. Following this collaboration, we were able to provide motion corrected imaging on all lung, pancreatic, gastric, and liver patients which improved imaging for approximately 60% of our patient population. The advantages of respiratory motion correction on imaging studies is improved quantification, improved image quality and resolution, and improved diagnostic confidence for physicians making patient decisions.
Subimal Datta, PhD, Professor of Anesthesiology, received the 2015 B. K. Anand Oration Award at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Asari Nagar, New Delhi. The international award is given annually to an eminent basic medical scientist with special contributions related to neurosciences.
UT Research Foundation Recognizes Innovation
The UT Research Foundation (UTRF) recognized 88 University of Tennessee researchers, including several UT Graduate School of Medicine faculty and staff, for their discoveries and commercialization efforts made within the last two years during the 2016 Innovation Award Ceremony. From the UT Graduate School of Medicine, Jonathan Wall, PhD, Director of the Preclinical and Diagnostic Molecular Imaging Laboratory, and Stephen Kennel, PhD, Associate Professor in the PDMIL, received a plaque in recognition of their patent “Inhibitory Peptides of Viral Infection.” Alison McNabb, Director of Health Information Management and Services, received a License Certificate for Medical Examiner Data Dashboard; Alexander Pasciak, PhD, Clinical Associate Professor of Radiology, received a License Certificate for An Affordable Digital X-Ray Detection System Based on a ConsumerGrade DSLR Camera; and Carmen Lozzio, MD, Retired Professor of Medicine, received a certficate for K562 Cell Line.
Radioactive Drug Research Committee Formed
A new committee has been developed at the University of Tennessee Medical Center (UTMC) that enables local approval of small studies involving radioactive drugs, typically for imaging. The first meeting of the UTMC RDRC occurred in November of 2015. During this meeting, RDRC members voted on the approval of the first locally approved RDRC study involving an IRB approved study by PIs Keith Gray and Dustin Osborne. This study involves the use of a PET drug, fluorocholine (FCH), which highlights regions of increased choline kinase expression which is a hallmark of certain types of cancer. This study will be examining the biodistribution and kinetics of FCH in pancreatic cancer patients to provide information on its utility in the management of pancreatic cancer patients.
Your Chance to Advance The people at the UT Graduate School of Medicine would be happy to discuss our research programs and how your support can help advance healthcare. For information about philanthropic giving to the UT Graduate School of Medicine Office of Research, please contact the development office at 865-305-6611 or development@utmck.edu. If you would like more information about any research programs described in this issue of Advance, please contact the UT Graduate School of Medicine’s Research Coordinator, Kristen Vandergriff, at 865-305-9749 or visit online: http://gsm.utmck.edu/research/main.cfm.
Thank you.
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