Nuclear Medicine Residency and Fellowship Programs

The UCSF Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging offers two pathways for the training of outstanding physicians to become the leaders of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging in the 21st century. The programs offer a comprehensive education in modern nuclear medicine practice, including classical diagnostic nuclear medicine, nuclear cardiology, PET/CT, and PET/MRI. In addition, there is wide exposure to therapeutic applications of radioisotopes and theranostics in the therapy clinic, including radioiodine, and more recent theranostic approaches such as Ra-223 and Lutetium-177 DOTA TATE. The nuclear medicine section is a busy clinical service over multiple sites including three PET/CT instruments, a PET/MRI, and four SPECT/CT cameras. Trainees are most commonly placed at one of three locations - Parnassus, Mission Bay, or China Basin, each of which offer a different mix of cases and experience. Most PET/CT and PET/MRI examinations also include a diagnostic CT or MRI, allowing trainees to expand their knowledge of anatomic imaging and to stay fresh on general radiology skills.

The faculty in the section are actively engaged in research ranging from basic, to translational, to clinical studies. There are numerous experimental clinical studies currently underway including a large volume of PET/MRI studies and those including experimental radiopharmaceuticals such as 68Ga-PSMA-11 and many others. Trainees are strongly encouraged to take part in independent research and quality improvement projects. The training experience is comprehensive of all current and emerging nuclear medicine practice.

There are numerous educational conferences available to trainees, including two weekly one hour didactic lecture sessions from current nuclear medicine faculty on topics including physics, instrumentation, radiopharmaceuticals, and clinical practice. Additionally, if desired, trainees may attend the diagnostic radiology resident lectures which take place daily at 8 am and noon. Finally, there are numerous interdisciplinary conferences, including endocrine conference (weekly), parathyroid tumor board (monthly), thyroid tumor board (monthly), myeloma tumor board (monthly), multimodality cardiac conference (monthly), and melanoma tumor board (weekly). Trainees have the opportunity for dedicated time in the cardiac stress lab, hot lab, or to take independent electives including research or other diagnostic radiology experiences.

Residency and Fellowship Programs

Nuclear Medicine Fellowship: This 12 month, ACGME accredited fellowship is available to those who will have completed diagnostic radiology residency.

Nuclear Radiology / Diagnostic Radiology 16 month program: This program, sponsored by the American Board of Radiology, allows current UCSF Diagnostic Radiology residents to complete 16 months of nuclear medicine training during the four year diagnostic radiology, without extending the length of training. Generally, residents enter this pathway during the first or second year of diagnostic radiology training.

How to Apply

Nuclear Medicine Residency and Fellowship

Applications for the Nuclear Medicine Residency and Fellowship program are accepted on a rolling basis, and we do not participate in the national resident matching program.

For further details and application on How to Apply for Fellowship.

Nuclear Radiology / Diagnostic Radiology Pathway

For the nuclear radiology / diagnostic radiology training pathway, this is only open to current UCSF diagnostic radiology residents and those interested in this pathway should apply as instructed on the diagnostic radiology residency program website.

Nuclear Medicine Alumni: Where are they now?

Nuclear Medicine Fellowship

  • 2022 - 2023: April Garcia (Sol Radiology, Southern California) and Stefano Johnson (Vantage Radiology, Washington)
  • 2021 - 2022: n/a
  • 2020 - 2021: David Lin (Beaumont Health, Royal Oaks, Michigan) and Cindy Yuan (Assistant Professor, Indiana University) 
  • 2019 - 2020: Roxanna Juarez (Assistant Professor, UCSF) and Uzoezi Ozomaro (Sutter Medical Group, Northern California)
  • 2018 - 2019: Mariam Aboian (Assistant Professor, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia) and Christopher Elias Graybiel (Staff Radiologist, Guelph General Hospital, Ontario, Canada)
  • 2016 - 2017: Thomas Yohannan (Associate Professor, UCSF)
  • 2015 - 2016: Robert Flavell (Associate Professor and Division Chief, UCSF) and Lorenzo Nardo (Assistant Professor, UC Davis)
  • 2014 - 2015: Rebecca Wu (Assistant Professor, Stanford)

Nuclear Radiology / Diagnostic Radiology Pathway

  • 2023 - 2024: Blair Lowery (Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, South Carolina)
  • 2022 - 2023: Sarasa Kim (Palo Alto Medical Foundation, Northern California) and Emmanuel Carrodeguas (Vision Radiology, Teleradiology)
  • 2021 - 2022: Yan Li (California Advanced Imaging Medical Associates, Northern California) and Andrew Taliaferro (Kaiser, Walnut Creek) 
  • 2019 - 2020: Kesav Raghavan (California Advanced Imaging Medical Associates, Northern California)
  • 2018 - 2019: Courtney Lawhn Heath (California Advanced Imaging Medical Associates, Northern California)

Nuclear Medicine Residency & Fellowship Programs Faculty

Miguel Hernandez Pampaloni, MD, PhD
Professor of Radiology and Medicine (Cardiology)
Director of Nuclear Cardiology for MI&T
Director, Nuclear Medicine Residency & Fellowship Programs
Professor of Clin Radiology
Spencer Behr, MD
Professor
Director, Fellowship Programs
Associate Director, Precision Imaging of Cancer and Therapy
Professor Clinical Radiology
Roxanna Juarez, MD
Assistant Professor
Asst Professor Clin Radiology

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