Jan Grimm, MD, PhD, FAIMBE, FWMIC
Professor of Radiology, Pharmacology and Biomedical Sciences
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center & Cornell University
New York, USA
Jung-Joon (John) Min, MD, PhD
Professor and Chair, Department of
Nuclear Medicine
Chonnam National University Medical School & Hwasun Hospital
Seoul, South Korea
Anna Moore, PhD
Professor, Departments of Radiology, Physiology and Bioengineering
Director, Precision Health Program
Associate Dean for Research
Development, College of Human Medicine
Michigan State University
Michigan, USA
Jan Grimm, MD, PhD, FAIMBE, FWMIC
Professor of Radiology, Pharmacology and Biomedical Sciences
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center & Cornell University
New York, USA
Jan Grimm is a Professor in the Molecular Pharmacology Program and an Attending in Radiology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) in New York. He is also a Professor of Biomedical Sciences at MSKCC’s Gerstner School and of Pharmacology in Cornell University. Jan received his MD from the University of Hamburg and his PhD in Imaging Sciences (Habilitation) from the University of Kiel (both in Germany). After his German board certification in Radiology, he first was a postdoc and then faculty in the Center for Molecular Imaging Research (CMIR; MGH, Boston), where he trained and worked from 2002-2006 with Ralph Weissleder. To re-introduce a clinical aspect, he transitioned to MSKCC in 2006 for a Body Imaging Fellowship and expedited Residency in Nuclear Medicine, at the same time continuing his research. In 2009 he was appointed as an Assistant Professor and rose to full Member/Professor in 2019, heading the Oncologic Molecular Imaging Lab.
As a physician-scientist with board certifications in both Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Jan is dedicated to advancing novel imaging and therapeutic approaches for cancer. His lab has pioneered preclinical and clinical Cerenkov imaging as well as multiplexed PET imaging and has uncovered the biological role of PSMA in prostate cancer. Additionally, his team is exploring the use of iron oxide nanoparticles to reprogram the tumor microenvironment, always maintaining a focus on clinical translatability.
Jan has a long history of involvement in the WMIS: He became Poster Chair for several years in 2011 and l Vice-Program Chair for the 2016 conference in New York. WMIC President Sam Gambhir asked him to serve as Program Chair for the 2017 meeting in Philadelphia. From 2017 to 2019, he served on the WMIS Board of Trustees and as Secretary of the Steering Committee. Jan is a Fellow of WMIS, an elected member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation, and a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. He also serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Nuclear Medicine and has received several awards, including the Edward C. Nagy New Investigator Award from the National Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIH). Since 2022, he has also been an elected member of the Council of the European Society of Molecular Imaging (ESMI) and was recently re-elected.
Like New York City the WMIC is a melting pot of ideas and innovations from diverse people all over the world, fostering collaborations and interactions. As a physician scientist I bring a unique perspective to the society, that can only help to broaden its scope. We have seen many changes in the world lately – one of them is that Molecular Imaging has come of age and entered a phase of reorientation. While these are all challenges, they also offer opportunities to re-orient our society new. As leader of the WMIS I would put an emphasize on these important aspects:
1. Identify new avenues and fields relevant to Molecular Imaging to widen and strengthen the scope of WMIS into a diagnostic and theranostic hub for various disciplines, drawing in new expertise but also redefine our scope with input from all members. We not only need to bridge a gap between basic science efforts and clinical reality but also need to integrate molecular imaging closer with emerging areas. As a community we need to develop approaches to respond to new biological and medical challenges such as how to interrogate tumor heterogeneity and the tumor microenvironment, the microbiomes (gut, tumor, brain,), the neuro-immuno-axis and other emerging concepts and techniques.
2. Exchange with other societies in our field (ESMI, FASMI, EANM, SNMMI, CRS) to work closer together in the future, e.g. by enabling joint meetings or workshops and fostering exchanges instead of isolation and competition. We will have more success coexisting with these great other societies than trying to outcompete them.
3. WMIC is in a unique position to provide avenues for young scientists, particularly from minority backgrounds as well as countries that are not yet well represented in our community (e.g., South America, Africa). WMIC can play a vital role in providing opportunities for exposure and international collaborations but also in providing more specific help in career development to young scientists, particularly minorities and female scientists through mentorships.
4. I want to engage you, our members, more in the society and provide a more democratic structure, including a more frequent rotation on committees to provide more opportunities for junior members to participate in shaping our society’s future.
Jung-Joon (John) Min, MD, PhD
Professor and Chair, Department of
Nuclear Medicine
Chonnam National University Medical School & Hwasun Hospital
Seoul, South Korea
Jung-Joon Min, MD, PhD is a physician-scientist, Professor and Chair of the Department of Nuclear Medicine at Chonnam National University Medical School and Hwasun Hospital, and a professor by courtesy in the department of Microbiology at Chonnam National University Medical School. Additionally, he serves as the Director of the Institute for Molecular Imaging and Theranostics. To date, he serves on many editorial and advisory boards and committees. He serves as the PI to various extramural funds from Korean government.
He received his MD and PhD in Chonnam National University in South Korea. From 2001 to 2004, he had studied with Dr. Sam Gambhir at UCLA and Stanford University as a postdoctoral fellow. His first academic appointment was in 2004 at Chonnam National University Medical School as an Assistant Professor of Nuclear Medicine.
His research focuses on developing imaging technologies in cancer therapy using cancer targeting bacteria, protein scaffolds or peptides. Technologies being utilized include PET, optical imaging, and photoacoustics in small animal models. Particular interest of his research and lab is the design of smart and non-toxic bacteria for cancer theranostics. He has published over 130 publications in peer reviewed journals, has co-authored several textbooks and holds 20 patents that are issued or filed.
Anna Moore, PhD
Anna Moore, PhD
Professor, Departments of Radiology, Physiology and Bioengineering
Director, Precision Health Program
Associate Dean for Research
Development, College of Human Medicine
Michigan State University
Michigan, USA
Dr. Anna Moore is the Professor at the Department of Radiology, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University. She is the Associate Dean for Research Development at the College of Human Medicine and Director of Precision Health Program. Prior to joining MSU, she built her career at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School (HMS) where she led a successful program and grew from a postdoctoral fellow to a full professor at HMS. Dr. Moore received her M.S. degree in Chemistry from Moscow State University (Russia) and obtained her Ph.D. degree in Bioorganic Chemistry from the Institute of Biochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences. After moving to the United State Dr. Moore pioneered image-guided RNA-based therapies for metastatic cancer and showed a unique way to eradicate this devastating disease by targeting specific drivers of metastasis. She is a co-founder of three companies, one of which is currently conducting clinical trials with image-guided RNA therapeutics in patients with solid cancers.
Dr. Moore is a recipient of over $40 million in grant awards from the NIH and other funding agencies and published her work in the most prestigious journals including Nature, Nature Medicine, Nature Biotechnology, PNAS and others. Throughout her career she presented over 160 invited talks at numerous national and international meetings. She has served as a mentor for 80 trainees and has held multiple administrative leadership roles at local, national and international levels. Since the beginning of her career, she has been involved in the service to community spanning Congressional Briefing at Capitol Hill advocating for increasing funding for imaging to serving the Russian and Ukrainian speaking community of Michigan by giving educational lectures on COVID-19 vaccination and donating interpreter services to recent Ukrainian refugees.
She is a graduate of the prestigious The Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM), a program dedicated to developing leadership skills for women in complex health care environment. She is a recipient of a Distinguished Investigator Award from the Academy of Radiology Research.
Prior to serving WMIS Dr. Moore was a Council Member of the Society for Molecular Imaging (SMI) and worked toward unifying imaging researchers around the world and driving the creation of what is now known as the WMIS in 2011. Dr. Moore is the only WMIS member who was elected to serve two terms on the Board of Trustees (2011-2015; 2015-2018). She also served as the Treasurer of WMIS, and the member of the Executive Committee, Steering Committee, Program Committee and Nomination Committee. She was one of the authors of the current by-laws and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) of WMIS. Currently, she is a Consulting Editor for Molecular Imaging and Biology, the official journal of WMIS. Most importantly she is a co-founder of a Women in Molecular Imaging Network (WIMIN) that now serves as a strong voice for women in the field of molecular imaging, and a training ground for women to excel in science. For her service to WMIS Dr. Moore was elected as a Fellow of the World Molecular Imaging Society.
I have been an active member of WMIS from its inception, and I am extremely honored and excited to be on the ballot for the President of our society along with the other exceptional candidates. My goal as a President will be to promote the role of the Society and imaging tools in biomedicine paying special attention to integration between basic and clinical researchers as well as to increased participation of our incredible industrial partners. I will work relentlessly to advance programs aimed at developing paradigm-shifting technologies that will have the greatest impact on human health. Specifically, I will work to:
- Increase WMIS footprint by extending its reach into yet underrepresented areas of human health, by attracting new members, new ideas and new friends;
- Work together with ESMI and FASMI leaders to strengthen our communication and create new opportunities for collaboration;
- Enhance WMIS visibility among other societies (AACR, ADA, JDRF, AHA) by partnering with their members and showcasing how molecular imaging can help solve unmet clinical needs;
- Create opportunities for basic and clinical scientists to collaboratively solve the most pressing biomedical problems;
- Work with our industrial partners to create fellowships and internships for young imaging scientists;
- Support innovation at every step of the scientific process – from basic discovery through translational studies to clinical implementation;
- Improve and promote education in novel areas of imaging research bridging genetics, pathology, methods for early detection and image-guided therapy/theranostics.
I am asking for your vote!