The Rise of Nuclear Theranostics and Precision Gamma-Ray Imaging
Abstract: In this presentation, I will highlight the potential impact that nuclear science and engineering can bring to medicine and healthcare applications. I will briefly discuss the renaissance of nuclear theranostics based on radiopharmaceutical therapy (RPT) and the need to advance gamma-ray imaging capabilities to propel the clinical translation of RPT. I will follow up to introduce several R&D efforts at the RDI group, ranging from the development of hyperspectral single photon imaging (HSPI) techniques that could potentially transform diagnostic nuclear medicine from monochromatic to multi-color/multi-functional molecular imaging modalities, the development of ultra-low-dose molecular imaging capability by exploring the cascade gamma-ray emission from radionicludes, the applications of these techniques for studying alpha-particle radiopharmaceutical therapy (α-RPT), to our recent exploration towards using X-ray-induced radioluminescence to modulate optogenetic effects in deep tissue. These advances could help integrate diagnostic nuclear medicine with therapeutic interventions and facilitate new approaches to combat cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegenerative disorders.
Bio: Dr. Ling-Jian Meng obtained his Ph.D. in Astrophysics from the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Southampton, UK, in 2002. From 2002 to 2006, he worked at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, as a Postdoctoral Fellow and subsequently as an Assistant Research Scientist, in the Department of Radiology and the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences. Dr. Meng joined the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) in 2006, where he is currently a Professor in the Department of Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering, and the Department of Bioengineering. He is also a member of the Beckman Institute of Advanced Science and Technology, and the Cancer Center of Illinois (CCIL). Dr. Meng serves as a Visiting Associate Professor at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), an Associate Editor for leading research journals such as IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging (2012–present) and Medical Physics (2019–present), and was a charter member of the NIH Imaging Technology Development (ITD) study session from 2020 to 2023. Dr. Meng's research primarily focuses on developing nuclear imaging techniques for biomedical research supported by numerous NIH-funded projects.