Introduction to and a few Clinical Applications of PET

Abstract

PET imaging has gone from a neuroscience research only imaging technique that was born in the late 1970’s to being a mainstay of medical practice (while remaining a powerful research tool in many fields) in oncology, neurology and cardiology. In this short presentation, we will review basic principles of PET acquisitions, physical capacities and limitations, and basic image processing that are especially important in a research context, and then discuss current, as well as some future, clinical applications.

Biography 

MD, first in his class (1980), and Masters Degree (Neurosciences, 1993), Université de Montréal. Specialty Certification, Quebec College of Physicians, Board Certification, American Board of Nuclear Medicine, F.R.C.P.(c) (1984), Nuclear Medicine. Post graduate Fellow, McLaughlin Foundation, hôpital Frédéric Joliot, France (1985).

Dr.Soucy has given over 280 presentations at international meetings, and has been invited to speak at over 70 conferences in different countries. He has published over 85 articles, over 100 abstracts, and written 9 book chapters. He holds research grants from the CIHR, FRQS, the Weston Foundation, the Parkinson Disease Foundation of Canada and CQDM. He has supervised medical residents and post-graduate students from around the world. His research is in the fields of cerebral blood flow quantification, image restoration in SPECT, as well as in vivo PET acetylcholine, amyloid and metabolic imaging in major cognitive disorders and other neurodegenerative diseases.

He currently is Director, PET Unit, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, and Associate Director, Bio-Imaging, PERFORM Research Centre, Concordia University. He is a Professor (Clinical), Department of Radiology, Radiation Oncology and Nuclear Medicine, Université de Montréal, and Adjunct Professor, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University.