Reston, Va. (September 1, 2015) - The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2015-2017 SNMMI Wagner-Torizuka Fellowship. This two-year fellowship, founded in 2008 by the late Henry N. Wagner, Jr., MD, and the late Kanji Torizuka, MD, PhD, is designed to provide extensive training and experience in the fields of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging for Japanese physicians in the early stages of their careers.
"SNMMI is proud to sponsor the Wagner-Torizuka Fellowship. This program honors two international pioneers and helps to promote continued research in the field of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging," said Gary L. Dillehay, MD, SNMMI past president and chair of the SNMMI Awards Committee.
The 2015-2017 fellows, each receiving an annual stipend of $24,000 (US), are:
- Kanae Kawai Miyake, MD, PhD, Kyoto University Hospital, Kyoto, Japan--whose research interests include the potential utility of high-resolution dedicated breast PET scanners in detailed functional/molecular distribution within a tumor-- is studying at the Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif., under the supervision of advisor Debra M. Ikeda, MD.
- Yoshiro Itatani, MD, PhD, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan--whose research focuses on several imaging modalities, in particular, molecular targeted therapy and angiogenesis in the tumor microenvironment using fluorescent conjugated antibodies and radiopharmaceuticals--is conducting research at the Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, under the supervision of advisor Napoleon Ferrara, MD, PhD.
- Takehiro Nakahara, MD, PhD, Gunma University Hospital, Department of Cardiology, Gunma, Japan-who is researching the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis, especially vascular calcification in vulnerable plaque using multiple imaging modalities-is studying at the Cardiovascular Imaging Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, N.Y., under the supervision of advisors H. William Strauss, MD, and Jagat Narula, MD, PhD.
The SNMMI Wagner-Torizuka Fellowship program, sponsored by Nihon Medi-Physics Co., Ltd., in Japan, is now entering its ninth year. The program has successfully graduated 20 fellows since its inauguration in 2008; currently, six fellows are studying at host institutions across the United States.
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Applications and further information about requirements for the 2016-2018 SNMMI Wagner-Torizuka Fellowship are available online at http://www.snmmi.org/grants. Applications are due February 1, 2016. For more information about these and other scholarships, visit http://www.snmmi.org/grants or contact the SNMMI Development Department at (703) 652-6780 or at developmenttemp@snmmi.org.
About the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) is an international scientific and medical organization dedicated to raising public awareness about nuclear medicine and 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 and helping provide patients with the best health care possible.
SNMMI'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 http://www.snmmi.org.