SALT LAKE CITY—Bengt Roland Långström, Ph.D., a professor in the department of biochemistry and organic chemistry at Uppsala University in Sweden, has been named as this year's recipient of the Georg Charles de Hevesy Nuclear Pioneer Award for his contributions to the nuclear medicine profession. Långström was presented the award by SNM—an international scientific and medical organization—during its 57th Annual Meeting, June 5, in Salt Lake City, Utah.
In addition to his position as a professor of chemistry at Uppsala University, Långström is the director of the Uppsala University PET Centre. He has more than 20 years of experience in the synthesis and applications of radiolabeled tracers for PET.
"Dr. Långström heads up one of the most productive radiochemistry facilities in the world," said Michael M. Graham, Ph.D., M.D., 2009 president of SNM. "This prestigious award recognizes his achievements over the past 20 years."
Långström has published more than 280 papers in chemistry and another 355 in research related to medicine and the life sciences. He has received several awards for his research, including the 1999 Arrhenius Award from the Swedish Chemical Society.
"I was so pleased to learn I was receiving this award," Långström said. "It is both a professional and personal achievement for me, as well as an honor to be recognized by my colleagues."
Each year, SNM presents the Georg Charles de Hevesy Nuclear Medicine Pioneer Award to an individual for outstanding contributions to the field of nuclear medicine. De Hevesy received the 1943 Nobel Prize in chemistry for his work in determining the absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination of radioactive compounds in the human body. His work led to the foundation of nuclear medicine as a tool for diagnosis and therapy and he is considered the father of nuclear medicine. SNM has given the de Hevesy Award every year since 1960 to honor groundbreaking work in the field of nuclear medicine.
"During his career at Uppsala University, Dr. Långström has mentored numerous students in medicine and pharmacology, while making seminal contributions to radiochemistry and its application to nuclear medicine and studying many diseases," said David M. Goldenberg, Sc.D., M.D., Garden State Cancer Center, Belleville, N.J., who was the 2005 recipient of SNM's Paul C. Aebersold Award and introduced Långström at SNM's 57th Annual Meeting.
"The list of previous recipients of this award is impressive and includes numerous Nobel laureates—such as Ernest Lawrence, who built the world's first cyclotron for the production of radionuclides, and Glenn Seaborg, who discovered more than half a dozen new elements," said Graham. "Långström joins a select group of scientists whose research is deemed to have had a significant impact on medicine."
About SNM—Advancing Molecular Imaging and Therapy
SNM is an international scientific and medical organization dedicated to raising public awareness about what molecular imaging is and how it can help provide patients with the best health care possible. SNM members specialize in molecular imaging, a vital element of today's medical practice that adds an additional dimension to diagnosis, changing the way common and devastating diseases are understood and treated.
SNM's more than 17,000 members set the standard for molecular imaging and nuclear medicine practice by creating guidelines, sharing information through journals and meetings and leading advocacy on key issues that affect molecular imaging and therapy research and practice. For more information, visit www.snm.org.