Novel Radiotracers and Radiochemical Methods for the Biomedical Technique of Positron Emission Tomography (PET)

With strong alignment to the clinical programmes within the Department of Clinical Neurosciences and other departments in the Clinical School, our programme of research is the discovery and development of Novel Radiotracers and Radiochemical Methods for the Biomedical Technique of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) – a non-invasive imaging technique that uses metabolic substrates, drugs and receptor ligands labelled with short-lived positron-emitting radionuclides to generate quantitative three-dimensional functional images. We are based at the Molecular Imaging Chemistry Laboratory (MICL), a dedicated preclinical facility consisting of four interlinked laboratories covering the key components of the research ; i) a organic chemistry laboratory for synthesis of chemical entities and precursors; ii) an analytical laboratory for chemical and radiochemical identification (with NMR and LC-MS analysis instrument); iii) a radiochemistry laboratory with specialised fumehood cabinets for synthesis and purification of radiotracers and iv) a radiopharmacology laboratory for the biological characterisation and validation of imaging probes. We are also linked to the Ann McLaren Building on the same biomedical campus which provide access to animal imaging facilities for

Our present areas of research interests include : i) imaging aggregated protein structures linked with neurodegenerative diseases ; ii) novel PET markers of neuroinflammation; iii) novel PET markers for imaging stem cells; iv) PET markers of dysfunctional adrenal glands; iv) new carbon-11 and fluorine-18 radiosynthetic methods and v) translational research in the characterisation and application of novel radiotracers in models of disease.

(PhD or MPhil, projects are particularly suited to graduates in chemistry. We also consider graduates with background in biochemistry, pharmacology and biology)