Speaker Profile
PMWC PIONEER AWARD
Invented the Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanner, a groundbreaking technology for molecular imaging diagnostics that identifies disease biology at the molecular level, phenotype diseased cells, and measure therapeutic responses to advance personalized care.
Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, UCLA
Biography
Dr. Michael E. Phelps is globally recognized for his pioneering contributions to the field of medical imaging, particularly for inventing the Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanner. His discoveries and inventions with his colleagues and students have enabled PETCT and PETMRI to revolutionize the diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of diseases, including cancer, neurological disorders, and cardiovascular disease. By providing images and measures of biological processes of disease at the molecular level, PET has transformed the way physicians and scientists understand, diagnosis and treat disease, making personalized care more precise and effective.Dr. Phelps founded and Chaired the Department of Molecular Medical Pharmacology that uniquely integrated faculty from the biological physical sciences with MDPhDs and MDs from imaging, Medicine Surgery, and contained the academic and clinical service of Nuclear Medicine in the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He was one the 3 founders of CTI Molecular Imaging that after reaching a market cap of $2B in 2005, was acquired by Siemens. More recently, he is one of the founders and a board member of Sofie Biosciences. Dr. Phelps is a member of the National Academy of Science and the National Academy of Medicine.
Session Abstract – PMWC 2025 Silicon Valley
Track Chair: Razelle Kurzrock, Medical College of Wisconsin
- PMWC 2025 Award Ceremony:
Luminary Honoree: Hedvig Hricak, Memorial Sloan Kettering
Pioneer Honoree: Michael E. Phelps, UCLA - Keynote: Precision Imaging for Precision Medicine
- Hedvig Hricak, Memorial Sloan Kettering
- Keynote: PET Imaging and Theranostics: Revolutionizing Cancer Detection and Treatment
- Michael E. Phelps, UCLA
- Radiopharmaceuticals for Cancer Therapy (PANEL)
Chair: Wiliam Oh, Yale Caner Center
- Naga Vara Kishore Pillarsetty, Memorial Sloan Kettering
- Jones Nauseef, Convergent Therapeutics
- Thomas Hope, UCSF
- Advancements in Digital Imaging: Enhancing Accuracy in Cancer Diagnostics
Chair: Razelle Kurzrock, Medical College of Wisconsin
- Hedvig Hricak, Memorial Sloan Kettering
- Liron Pantanowitz, University of Pittsburgh
- Eliot Siegel, VA Maryland Healthcare System
- Sharmila Majumdar, UCSF
- Wafik El-Deiry, Brown University - Digitalizing Oncology Care: Challenges and Opportunities (PANEL)
Chair: Christian Wolfrum, Siemens Healthineers
- Ashley Smith, Varian
- Marshall Pitz, Manitoba Cancer Care
- Measuring Tumor Aggressiveness: How Nanotechnology is Shaping the Future of Cancer Diagnostics
- Marija Plodinec, ARTIDIS
- Alastair Thompson, Baylor College of Medicine
- Stacey Tinianov, Advocates for Collaborative Education
- Overcoming Health System Barriers and Redefining Oncology Endpoints: The Role of MRD
- Krupa Paranjpe, Sanofi - Unlocking MRD Testing and Beyond: Combining Ultra-High Sensitivity with Low
Chair: Gilad Almogy, Ultima Genomics - Ultra-Rapid NGS Testing: Why Time Matters
- Luca Quagliata, ThermoFisher
- Ibiayi Dagogo-Jack, Massachusetts General Hospital
- PMWC Showcase
- Tuvik Beker, Pangea Biomed
- Navigating Regulatory Hurdles and Reimbursement Pathways for Oncology Innovations
Chair: Sheila Walcoff, Goldbug Strategies
- Wui-Jin Koh, NCCN - Gabriel A. Bien-Willner, Palmetto GBA
- Erin Satterwhite, Optum Specialty Pharmacy
