The World Molecular Imaging Society is an international scientific educational organization dedicated to the understanding of biology and medicine through multimodal in vivo imaging of cellular and molecular events involved in normal and pathologic processes and utilization of quantitative molecular imaging in patient care.
The World Molecular Imaging Society (WMIS) was established in 2011 by integrating the Academy of Molecular Imaging and the Society for Molecular Imaging into a single streamlined society focused on advancing the field of molecular imaging (MI). Within a relatively short time, the WMIS has significantly expanded its global footprint in this field by building and expanding upon existing strengths and infrastructures of these two organizations.
WMIS President
Michelle L. James, PhD
Associate Professor, Radiology – Rad/Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford
Associate Professor, Neurology and Neurological Sciences
Stanford University School of Medicine
Dr. James is a tenured Associate Professor in the Departments of Radiology and Neurology, within the Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford University (MIPS). She received her BS in pharmacology and medicinal chemistry at the University of Sydney, where she also earned her PhD in pharmacology and was awarded the University Medal. She served as Co-Chair of WMIC in 2021 and has received numerous awards for her impactful research and mentoring, including the Suffrage Science Award in 2016, the Exceptional Mentor Award from the American Medical Women’s Association in 2018, the Roger Tsien Award from WMIS in 2024, and the Sam Gambhir Trailblazer Award from SNMMI in 2026. She has published over 125 papers and abstracts, and her students have collectively been awarded more than 55 highly prestigious fellowships and highly competitive awards. For over 20 years, her research has focused on developing innovative multi-modality molecular imaging approaches for detecting different aspects of neuroinflammation, innate and adaptive immune cells, and mitochondrial function, in Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, ME/CFS, cancer, and many other conditions. Her work has been supported by significant funding from the NIH, private industry, foundations, and philanthropic donors. Dr. James has translated several PET tracers she developed to the clinic, many of which are patented and being used in clinical research studies at Stanford and around the world.