Brooks is the Hartnett professor of neurology with the PET Neurosciences Group, division of neuroscience and psychological medicine, at Imperial College School of Medicine (Hammersmith campus) in the United Kingdom. He delivered the Kuhl-Lassen Award Lecture at the 52nd Annual Meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine June 19 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and spoke on "Applications of Imaging to Movement Disorders: A View from the Frontier." A pioneer in the clinically informed application of PET to the field of movement disorders, Brooks has done truly groundbreaking studies in Parkinson's and related disorders using neuroimaging techniques to gain an improved understanding of the pathophysiology of those disorders. Brooks's research includes information about the progression of disease, primary mechanisms of onset and progression, differential diagnosis and the role of imaging to enhance the development of next-generation therapeutics in movement disorders.
A senior clinical scientist, Brooks's main research interests are functional imaging (both PET and functional MRI) and movement disorders. Over the past years, he and his research team have used functional imaging to investigate functional anatomy underlying motor tasks, the effects of pharmacological manipulations and behavior on brain dopamine release in healthy subjects and patients with movement disorders; the pharmacological and brain activation changes associated with onset, progression and treatment complications of Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases; and the effects of putative neuroprotective and restorative therapies in those diseases.
"I am extremely honored to be named the recipient of the Kuhl-Lassen Award by the Society of Nuclear Medicine," said Brooks. "Both David Kuhl's and Nils Lassen's work has had a great influence on my career, and I am delighted to accept an award bearing their names," he said. " I would also like to thank Drs. Terry Jones, Richard Frackowiak and David Marsden, who have all been seminal in shaping my career, and my wife Gill for her unswerving support throughout my research," added Brooks.
The highest award of SNM's Brain Imaging Council was created to honor two founding pioneers in functional brain imaging: SNM member David E. Kuhl, M.D., and the late Nils Lassen. The Kuhl-Lassen Award is given annually to recognize a scientist whose research in and service to the discipline of functional brain imaging is of the highest caliber.
About the Society of Nuclear Medicine
The Society of Nuclear Medicine is holding its 52nd Annual Meeting June 18–22 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, Canada. Research topics for the 2005 meeting include techniques for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease; advanced imaging for the diagnosis, staging and treatment of cancer; nuclear cardiology; and the collaboration between nuclear medicine and bioengineering in the fight against cancer. SNM is an international scientific and professional organization of more than 16,000 members dedicated to promoting the science, technology and practical applications of molecular imaging/nuclear medicine. SNM is based in Reston, Va.; additional information can be found online at http://www.snm.org.