Minoshima-Pappas Transformative Leadership Award 

Overview

The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) recognizes that field of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging is changing rapidly. In 2017, with the vision of Satoshi Minoshima, MD, PhD, then SNMMI President, with support by Virginia Pappas, CAE, SNMMI CEO, launched the SNMMI Value Initiative. The Value Initiative became the SNMMI’s strategic vision and roadmap for 2017-2022 working with all stakeholders including the SNMMI leadership, SNMMI members, industry, and other partners to advance the crucial role of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging to the medical community, regulators, patients, and the public.

The Value Initiative comprises six key areas related to the healthcare and organization’s work: Quality of Practice, Research and Discovery, Workforce Pipeline and Life-Long Learning, Advocacy, Outreach, and Organizational Strength and Stability. Through the Value Initiative, the SNMMI was able to change the dynamics of the field. The efforts included, but not limited to, the production of high-quality Appropriate Use Criteria, the development and clinical implementation of new radiopharmaceuticals and the advancement of theranostics, support for the workforce pipeline encompassing from trainees to leadership, the best outreach program among imaging societies, advocacy efforts that have successfully expanded coverage for old and new services, and strengthened the SNMMI Board of Directors and initiated organizational restructuring. In addition, the campaign “SNMMI Value Initiative” has raised the largest amount of funds in the history of SNMMI.

Award Description:

Minoshima-Pappas Transformative Leadership Award will recognize an individual who has made transformative impact in the field and elevated the value of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging.

Award recipients must have initiated, developed, and successfully implemented unique and significant transformative value within the field of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging. Examples include high impact discovery and publication that have changed patient care, initiation of multi-national collaborative research, revolutionizing education methods, practice changing quality management, regulatory and/or legislative transformations, innovative outreach to patients and other stakeholders, and so on.

Award recipients will receive 1) a plaque and $5,000 and will be acknowledged in person at the SNMMI Annual Meeting and 2) receive an invitation to the subsequent year’s SNMMI Annual Meeting and an option to organize a “Transformative Leadership” session (a standard CE session) for the topic of the awardee’s choice.

Eligibility

  • Nominees must be a full member of SNMMI (both US and International applicants are welcome) for a minimum 5 years (consecutive) prior to application.
  • Nominees must exemplify outstanding transformational leadership and impactful outcome in one or more of the following categories:
    • Quality of Practice
    • Research and Discovery
    • Workforce Pipeline and Life-Long Learning
    • Advocacy
    • Outreach
    • Organizational Strength and Stability

Nomination and Application Process

  • The nominator is responsible for providing the following materials:
    • A completed application
    • CV of the nominee
    • Primary letter of support from a past SNMMI president
    • At least 1 additional support letter (no more than 3 additional letters will be considered)
  • An award candidate supporter is responsible for:
    • Writing a letter in support of the award candidate

Selection Process

  • Applications will be assigned a numeric score, by reviewers, based on the various components of the application, including support letters.
  • Individuals not selected may re-apply the following year and must submit a new application.

Past Recipients

  • 2025 - Andrew Scott, MD, FSNMMI
  • 2024 - Richard Wahl, MD, FACR, FACNM, FSNMMI
  • 2023 - Umar Mahmood, MD, PhD

Applications open in October 2025.

Click here to Apply!