Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian has announced that the American College of Nuclear Medicine (ACNM) has elected Gary Ulaner, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.C.N.M., James & Pamela Muzzy Endowed Chair in Molecular Imaging and Therapy and director of Molecular Imaging and Therapy for the Hoag Family Cancer Institute, as its 2022-2023 president. He assumed the role on Jan. 29.
During his presidency, Dr. Ulaner will lead the renowned organization, whose mission is to provide education, training and advocacy for the most sought-after and trusted experts in nuclear medicine.
“I’m looking forward to serving the needs of nuclear medicine physicians across the country and working with an outstanding ACNM Board of Directors,” said Dr. Ulaner. “As president, I will be developing accreditation programs to encourage optimal technical methods for molecular cancer therapies, as well as establishing a webinar series for radiologists and nuclear medicine physicians to gain knowledge of novel molecular imaging methods.”
These methods, said Dr. Ulaner, include PSMA-targeted imaging and therapy for patients with prostate cancer, estrogen receptor-targeted imaging for patients with breast cancer and rare pediatric oncologic imaging.
As incoming president, Dr. Ulaner has further distinguished himself and Hoag as a leader and innovator in the field of nuclear medicine. Before joining Hoag, Dr. Ulaner served as the PET/CT expert on the Breast Cancer Disease Management Team at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
Dual board-certified in radiology and nuclear medicine, Dr. Ulaner is a nationally recognized expert in the use of targeted imaging to help direct focused cancer therapies. He leads several National Institutes of Health (NIH) clinical trials in molecular imaging and therapeutics, including two active NIH R01 grants, and has received more than $8 million in extramural funding, including generous philanthropic support from Hoag Hospital Foundation donors.
In addition to the James & Pamela Muzzy Endowed Chair in Molecular Imaging and Therapy, a second endowment recently established the Muzzy Family Endowed Fellowship in Molecular Imaging and Therapy. Through this fellowship, Dr. Ulaner will be training the next generation of molecular imaging and therapy experts at Hoag.
“It’s an honor to congratulate Dr. Ulaner for his well-deserved role as the new ACNM president,” said Robert T. Braithwaite, president and CEO of Hoag. “The Hoag Family Cancer Institute is at the forefront of cancer innovation and we are proud to have a respected leader such as Dr. Ulaner continuing to advance the level of care provided to our community.”
The ACNM is a 50-year-old institution comprised of physicians and other nuclear medicine professionals dedicated to enhancing the practice of nuclear medicine through study, education and improvement of clinical practice. Its goal is to assure a legislative, legal, regulatory and economic framework that encourages and makes practicable the safe, appropriate use of nuclear medicine procedures to improve the quality of healthcare service available to patients.
To learn more about Dr. Ulaner’s role at Hoag, visit www.hoag.org/cancer.
