UCSF's Henry VanBrocklin Receives the Prestigious Aebersold Award at SNMMI

Congratulations to Henry VanBrocklin, PhD, FSNMMI, FSRS, recipient of the 2023 Paul C. Aebersold Award! Dr. VanBrocklin is a professor in the Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging and director of the Radiopharmaceutical Research Program in the Center for Molecular and Functional Imaging at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). He is also one of the core faculty for the Master's in Biomedical Imaging (MSBI) program. Dr. VanBrocklin received the award on June 25 at the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) Annual Meeting in Chicago.

The Aebersold Award recognizes outstanding achievement in basic science applied to nuclear medicine. It is named for Paul C. Aebersold, a pioneer in the biologic and medical application of radioactive materials and the first director of the Atomic Energy Commission's Division of Isotope Development.

"It's an honor to be recognized by my colleagues and receive the prestigious 2023 SNMMI Aebersold Award," said Dr. VanBrocklin. "I have had the opportunity to collaborate with so many talented nuclear medicine and molecular imaging professionals throughout my career, and I look forward continuing our effort to advance nuclear medicine agents for the benefit of our patients."

For decades, Dr. VanBrocklin has led research on the preparation and application of novel radiopharmaceuticals, including receptor-based imaging agents for hormone receptors, growth factor receptors, neuroreceptors and prostate-specific membrane antigen. His expertise includes short-lived radioisotope production and the creation of fluorine-18 and carbon-11 labeling chemistry strategies for new radiotracer preparations and applications. Chris Hess, MD, PhD, UCSF Radiology department chair, noted, "Henry is a most deserving recipient of the Aebersold Award. He is a distinguished member of the international nuclear medicine and molecular imaging community and has immeasurably improved patient care through his innovative collaborations with basic scientists and clinicians."

"It is a distinct pleasure to present the Aebersold Award to Henry," noted Alan B. Packard, PhD, FSNMMI, chair of the SNMMI Committee on Awards. "His work in the field spans the full spectrum of radiopharmaceutical science disciplines and has resulted in tracers for blood flow measurement, receptor-targeted tracers for prostate, pancreatic and breast cancer, neurological imaging agents for neuroinflammation and excitatory amino acid transport and more."

Join us in congratulating Dr. VanBrocklin on this honor!