image: Jean-Luc C. Urbain, MD, PhD, FASNC view more
Credit: Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
Chicago, Illinois (Embargoed until 9:30 am CDT, Monday, June 26, 2023)—Jean-Luc C. Urbain, MD, PhD, FASNC, professor of radiology/nuclear medicine and medicine, vice chair of theranostics, and director of nuclear medicine at Roswell Park Cancer Center at the University of Buffalo in New York, has been elected vice president-elect for the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI). SNMMI introduced a new slate of officers during its 2023 Annual Meeting, held June 24-27.
“With the advent of new precision oncology nuclear therapies and the explosion of the field of theranostics, there has never been a more exciting time to practice nuclear medicine,” stated Urbain. “Nevertheless, the universal clinical implementation of new diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals faces significant challenges, particularly in the United States, where the approval of radiopharmaceuticals is usually more complex than in other countries. As SNMMI vice president-elect, I will focus on bringing these advances to the clinic, where they can benefit patients.”
As vice president-elect, Urbain will focus on implementing the society’s new strategic plan to address the current and universal challenges facing the global nuclear medicine community. Outreach to underrepresented professionals and communities in the United States will be a top priority. Urbain will also work with emerging countries to facilitate their participation in SNMMI activities and to expand their access to leadership positions. He will strive to promote the SNMMI brand across the globe to increase its visibility, membership and financial support.
A native of Belgium, Urbain earned his medical degree at the University of Louvain, Belgium, and then pursued residency training in internal medicine and nuclear medicine at the University Hospital of the University of Louvain in Brussels, Belgium. He subsequently obtained a Ph.D. in genetics and molecular biology at Temple University in Philadelphia.
Over his 35-year career, Urbain has held academic appointments at Catholic University of Louvain, Temple University, University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, and most recently as Nuclear Radiology Fellowship Program Director at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. His hospital appointments include positions at Catholic University of Louvain; CHGH University Affiliated Hospital in Hornu, Belgium; Temple University Hospital; Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; the Cleveland Clinic Foundation; St. Joseph’s Health Care, London Health Sciences Centre & University of Western Ontario; the VA Medical Center-Milton Hershey Penn State Medical College in Lebanon, Pennsylvania; Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center; and Brantford General, Pembroke Regional, and Stratford General Hospitals in Stratford, Ontario, where he currently is a staff physician in addition to his post at the Roswell Cancer Center.
Within SNMMI Urbain has served in multiple roles. He was a member of the Nominating Committee and on the Radiopharmaceutical Extravasation Task Force and served as chair of the Global Initiative Committee. Urbain is currently a member of the Therapy Strategic Plan Task Force, Quality and Patient Safety Committee, Center of Excellence Task Force and Therapy Center of Excellence Task Force. He is a member of the Eastern Great Lakes Chapter of SNMMI and served as president of the chapter from 2010-2011.
Additionally, Urbain is currently co-commissioner of the Lancet Oncology Commission Report on Theranostics and an International Atomic Energy Agency consultant. In the past, he served as president of the World Federation of Nuclear Medicine & Biology, vice president of the Canadian Neuro Endocrine Tumors Society, co-chair of the Waiting Time Alliance, president of the Canadian Society of Nuclear Medicine, and secretary of the Belgium Society of Nuclear Medicine.
Urbain is a member of the American Roentgen Ray Society, Radiological Society of North America, American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Society of Nuclear Cardiology and European Association of Nuclear Medicine. He received the Homi Jehangir Bhabba Award Honorary Degree in 2007 and the GE Radiant Fund from the Canadian Association of Nuclear Medicine in 2006. Urbain has published 75 journal articles and 15 book chapters and has given more than 500 invited speaker presentations.
Other SNMMI officers elected for 2023-24 are Helen Nadel, MD, FRCPC, Stanford, California, as president and Cathy Sue Cutler, PhD, FSNMMI, Upton, New York, as president-elect. SNMMI Technologist Section officers for 2023-24 are Dmitry Beyder, CNMT, MPA, St. Louis, Missouri, as president and Julie Dawn Bolin, MS, CNMT, Phoenix, Arizona, as president-elect.
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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 advancing nuclear medicine and molecular imaging—vital elements of precision medicine that allow diagnosis and treatment to be tailored to individual patients in order to achieve the best possible outcomes.
SNMMI’s 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.snmmi.org.