Young Investigator Award Winners

WMIS proudly recognizes the outstanding commitment to research and endeavors of the next generation of researchers with one of the most prestigious awards at the WMIC, the Young Investigator of the Year Award.
Young investigator abstracts in the field of molecular imaging are blindly scored and subsequently reviewed by the Awards Committee. Three finalists are selected to present their talks during the final plenary session. A winner is chosen based on the quality of the science, the clarity of presentation and the ability to answer questions about the abstract.

2025 Young Investigator Award

Winner:

Dan Cohen, MD, MHA
PhD Candidate, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
“Simultaneous in vivo mapping of AKR1B1 and ALDH1A1 activity in cancer using 19F-MRI with 3-[19F]FDGal”

Runner Up:
Yihan Wu, PhD Student, Johns Hopkins University
“In vivo human brain tissue and cerebrospinal fluid exchange revealed by non-invasive magnetization transfer indirect spin labeling (MISL) MRI”

Second Runner Up:
Zuzanna Anna Magnuska, PhD, University Hospital RWTH Aachen
“Ultrasound localization microscopy parameters significantly correlate with relevant clinical values in kidney transplant patients”

2024 Young Investigator Award

Winner:

Renesmee Kuo, PhD Candidate, Stanford University, USA
“ICOS immunoPET: A Promising Technique for Monitoring Anti-PD-1 and Anti-CTLA-4 Immunotherapies in Metastatic Brain Cancer”

Runner Up:
Rahaf Mihyar, PhD Candidate, RWTH Aachen University Hospital
“Immunoglobulins as Tumor Targeting Biomarkers for Cancer Nanomedicine Patient Stratification”

Second Runner Up:
Ivy Wang, PhD Candidate, University of Oxford
“High Resolution 3D Mapping of Actin Network Regulation of Endosomal Function in Living Cells Through Cryo Correlative Light and X-ray Microscopy”

2023 Young Investigator Award

Winner:

Nicholas Calvert, PhD Candidate, University of Ottawa, Canada
“Glucoverdazyl, a Radical New Idea for Kidney Functional Imaging by MRI”

Runner Up:
Cong Wang, PhD, Fudan University
“Ultrabright Ratiometric Raman-guided Epilepsy Surgery by Intraoperatively Visualizing Proinflammatory Microglia”

Second Runner Up:
Sarah Schraven, PhD Candidate, RWTH Aachen University
“CT-MRI-aided Fluorescence Tomography for improved Biodistribution Analysis”

2022 Young Investigator Award

Winner:

Alexia Kirby, PhD Candidate, University of Ottawa, Canada
“Mapping Concussion for Early Diagnosis by Molecular MRI.”

Runner Up:
Yingying Ning, PhD, Harvard Medical School
“T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging of liver fibrosis with collagen-targeting single-nanometer iron oxide nanoparticles”

Second Runner Up:
Sophie Stotz, PhD Candidate, University of Tuebingen
“[18F]pFBC is a Covalent CLIPTag Radiotracer for PET Reporter Gene Imaging of Viral Gene Transfer in the Murine Brain”

2021 Young Investigator Award

Winner:
Yingying Ning, PhD, Mass General Hospital, Harvard University, USA
“Quantitative and noninvasive detection of treatment response in a mouse model of pulmonary fibrosis by molecular MRI”

Finalists:
Aisling Chaney, PhD, Standford University, USA
“[64Cu]TREM1-mAb imaging detects therapeutic response to fingolimod in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis”

Caroline Guglielmetti, PhD, University of California San Francisco, USA
“Imaging brain neuroinflammation in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis using 18F-labeled S1PR1 tracer”

2020 Young Investigator Award

Winner:
Sabina Marciano, PhD Student, Werner Siemens Imaging Center, Germany
“Imaging CRISPR/Cas9 Gene Editing in the Adult Rat Brain”

Runner up:
Xiao He, MD, Zhejiang University, China
“Human cortical progenitors integrate into the stroke-injured cortex and prevent cortical seizures after stroke”
Finalists:
Wei Mu, PhD, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, USA
“Non-invasive treatment decision support for non-small cell lung cancer with deep learning radiomics”
Bao Ying Chen, PhD Student, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
“18F-FAC PET can image immune activation and reveals potential functional role of deoxyribonucleoside salvage pathway in EAE mouse model of MS”

2019 Young Investigator Award

Winner:
Aisling M. Chaney, PhD, Stanford University, USA
“Tracking the Invaders in Multiple Sclerosis: a new highly specific PET imaging approach for visualizing peripheral innate immune activation with higher sensitivity than TSPO-PET”

Finalists:
Katie Parkins, PhD, Western University, Canada
“Engineering “Self-Homing” Circulating Tumor Cells as Novel Cancer Theranostics”
Corinne Beinat, PhD, Stanford University, CA, USA
“Evaluation of [18F]DASA-23 for non-invasive measurement of aberrantly expressed pyruvate kinase M2 in healthy volunteers and intracranial tumor patients.”

2018 Young Investigator Award

Winner:
George Lu, PhD, Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, USA
“Acoustically Modulated MRI of Gas-filled Protein Nanostructures”

Finalists:
Sijumon Kunjachan, PhD, DFCI/BWH/Harvard Medical School, USA
“Image-guided Drug Delivery by Radiation-Induced Tumor Vascular Modulation”
Ilke Tunali, PhD, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, USA
“Radiomics and Clinical Procedures of Disease Progression Among Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients Treated with Checkpoint Inhibitors”

2017 Young Investigator Award

Winner:
Patrick McCormick, PhD, University College London, United Kingdom
“Evaluation of (4S)-4-(3-[18F]fluoropropyl)-L-glutamate ([18F]FSPG) for Measurement of Intracellular Redox Status using Positron Emission Tomography.”

Finalists:
Suchismita Mohanty, PhD, Stanford University, USA
“A novel theranostic strategy for MMP-14 expressing glioblastomas impacts survival.”
Zhi Wei Tay, University of California, Berkeley, USA
“Eight-fold Improvement in Magnetic Particle Imaging Resolution with Pulsed Drive Waveforms.”

2016 Young Investigator Award

Winner:
Molly Sheehan, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania, USA
“De Novo Design and Functional Mammalian Expression of a Far-Red Fluorescent Protein.”

Finalists:
David Lewis, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
“Imaging Oncogenesis in 3D: A Novel Multi-transgenic Vector for in vivo Delivery of a Radionuclide Reporter to Tumor Initiating Cells”
Volke Neuschmelting, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, USA
“Detection of Melanoma Lymph Node Micro- and In-transit- Metastasis by Multispectral Optoacustic Imaging (MSOT) in a Mouse Model in vivo”

2015 Young Investigator Award

Winner:
Elizabeth Tucker, M.D., Johns Hopkins University, USA
“Noninvasive imaging of tuberculosis-associated neuroinflammation with radioiodinated DPA-713 in an in vivo pediatric rabbit model.”

2014 Young Investigator Award

Winner:
Florian C. Maier, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Germany
“Quantification of cerebral β-amyloidosis and rCBF with PET/MRI at 7 T and high-resolution µMRI at 16.4 T in APP23 mice”

Finalists:
Ines R. Violante, University of Coimbra, Portugal
“GABA alterations in patients with Neurofibromatosis type 1: a multimodal 11C-Flumazenil PET and MRS study”
Olga Volotskova, Stanford University School of Medicine, USA
“Cerenkov Radiation Energy Transfer (CRET) by Gold Nanoclusters as a Novel Strategy for Tumor Imaging and Delineation”

2013 Young Investigator Award

Winner:
Khun Visith Keu, MD FRCPC
“Imaging of Cytolytic T-Cells Therapy in Recurrent Glioma Patients using a PET Reporter Gene/Probe Strategy”

Finalists:
Mikhail G. Shapiro, PhD
“Genetically Encoded Gas Nanostructures as Ultrasonic Molecular Reporters”
Mikael Palner, PhD
“Polymer nanoparticle with persistent near-infrared luminescence shows potential for in vivo imaging.”

2012 Young Investigator Award

Winner:
Moritz Kircher
“A Triple-Modality MRI-Photoacoustic-Raman Nanoparticle for pre-and intraoperative Brain Tumor Delineation”

Finalists:
Neal Paragas
“The Kidney Defends the Urinary System from Infection by Secreting NGAL”
Brian M. Zeglis
“A Pre-Targeted 64Cu-PET Imaging Methodology based on the huA33 Antibody and Inverse Electron Demand Diels-Alder Click Chemistry”

2011 Young Investigator Award

Winner:
Kathryne Wilson

Finalists:
Lucia Crane
Ping Wang

2010 Young Investigator Award

Winner:
Leonie Wyffels, University of Arizona, USA

2009 Young Investigator Award

Winner:
Patrick Goodwill, UC Berkeley, CA USA
“Direct Imaging of SPIOs in Mice using Magnetic Particle Imaging: Instrument Construction and 3d Imaging”

Finalists:
Seog-Young Kim, Asan Medical Center, Songpa-gu, South Korea
“Early Assessment of Treatment Response to Gefitinib Using Kinetic Analysis of 3′-deoxy-3′-[18F]Fluorothymidine PET in a Xenograft Model”
Florian Stuker, Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Zurich, Switzerland
“Dual Modality Imaging System for Simultaneous MRI and FMT Measurements: Technical Realization and Feasibility”

2008 Young Investigator Award

Winners:
Adam de la Zerda, Stanford University, USA
“Photoacoustic Molecular Imaging using Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes in Living Mice”
Roel Deckers, Laboratory for Molecular and Functional Imaging, France
“Local Control of Transgene Expression using MRI Guided HIFU on a Transgenic Mouse”
Min-Kyung So, Samsung Cancer Institute, Republic of Korea
“Imaging siRNA Silencing In Vivo with a Ribozyme-mediated Reporter”