June 12, 2024
Reston, VA—The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) hosted more than 8,000 physicians, technologists, pharmacists, laboratory professionals, scientists and others earlier this week at its 2024 Annual Meeting in Toronto, Ontario. Themed “Innovate. Illuminate.”, the meeting was dedicated to the rapidly changing science and practice of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging.
“The energy and excitement at this year’s Annual Meeting were like nothing I’ve ever seen before,” said Cathy Sue Cutler, PhD, FSNMMI, newly elected SNMMI president. “From standing-room-only sessions to state-of-the-art research to a bustling exhibit hall, the Annual Meeting showed again why it’s the place to be for nuclear medicine and molecular imaging professionals.”
The meeting featured more than 130 continuing education and scientific sessions showcasing the latest research in theranostics, artificial intelligence, cardiology, neurology, oncology, and more. The Annual Meeting Science Pavilion included more than 1,000 posters, and the sold-out exhibit hall housed booths for 220 companies.
This year’s meeting also provided unique opportunities for attendee engagement and connection. The meeting kicked off with the Opening Ceremony and an Exhibit Hall welcome reception featuring the delicious foods of the meeting’s Highlight Country, South Africa. An expanded Knowledge Bowl drew a packed crowd as teams showed off their smarts to compete for free registration for the 2025 Annual Meeting. The PET Therapy booth was back by popular demand-offering attendees a chance to snuggle with cute pups between CE sessions. SNMMI’s increased social media outreach also helped forge virtual connections with attendees throughout the meeting.
In addition to the election of Cathy Sue Cutler, PhD, FSNMMI, as SNMMI president, the 2024-25 leadership team was installed during the meeting. Jean-Luc C. Urbain, MD, PhD, FASNC, was named as president-elect, and Heather Jacene, MD, as vice president-elect. SNMMI Technologist Section officers for 2024-25 are Julie Dawn Bolin, MS, CNMT, as president and Cybil Nielsen, MBA, CNMT, FSNMMI-TS, as president-elect.
SNMMI recognized outstanding contributions to the field by presenting prestigious awards. Carolyn J. Anderson, PhD, received the Georg Charles de Hevesy Nuclear Pioneer Award and George Sgouros, PhD, received the Paul C. Aebersold Award for Outstanding Achievement in Basic Nuclear Medicine Science. Michael J. Evans, PhD, received the 2024 Sam Gambhir Trailblazer Award. Ten new SNMMI Fellows and four new SNMMI-TS Fellows were also recognized during the meeting. See the full list of awards.
The SNMMI Image of the Year—a grouping of ultra-high-resolution images highlighting targeted tracer uptake in specific brain nuclei—was announced during the Monday plenary; the groundbreaking image was created by Richard E. Carson, PhD, and colleagues for their abstract “Exceptional Brain PET Images from the NeuroEXPLORER: Scans with Targeted Radiopharmaceuticals and Comparison to HRRT.” The Abstract of the Year award went to Ken Herrmann, MD, Oliver Sartor, MD, and colleagues for their study “Phase 3 Trial of [177Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 in Taxane-Naive Patients with Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer (PSMAfore).”
During the Sunday plenary, Henry N. Wagner, Jr., MD, Lecturer Ora Israel, MD, Emeritus Professor of Imaging at the Rappaport School of Medicine, delivered an insightful address on SPECT/CT and PET/CT imaging titled “A Different Kind of ‘Hybrid.’” On Monday, Benedict Cassen Lecturer David M. Goldenberg, MD, shared his reflections on “My Golden Anniversary in Nuclear Medicine, 1974-2024.” To conclude the meeting, speakers at the Henry N. Wagner, Jr., Highlights Symposium presented the scientific highlights of the Annual Meeting in the context of modern molecular medicine.
Mark your calendars for SNMMI’s 2025 Annual Meeting, scheduled for June 21-24 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. For more information, visit www.snmmi.org/am.
###
About the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) is an international scientific and medical organization dedicated to advancing nuclear medicine and molecular imaging—vital elements of precision medicine that allow diagnosis and treatment to be tailored to individual patients in order to achieve the best possible outcomes.
SNMMI’s members set the standard for molecular imaging and nuclear medicine practice by creating guidelines, sharing information through journals and meetings and leading advocacy on key issues that affect molecular imaging and therapy research and practice. For more information, visit www.snmmi.org.