Molecular Imaging and Therapeutics

Multidisciplinary Patient Care

The Division of Molecular Imaging and Therapeutics at the Weill Cornell Medical (WCM)/NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital (NYPH) offers multidisciplinary patient care. We bring together experts from different divisions, such as Genitourinary Oncology, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Cardiology, and Endocrine Oncology, to provide cutting-edge treatments and personalized care for our patients.

Our team consists of physicians, physicists, engineers, pharmacists, chemists, and mathematicians. We work closely together and use radiopharmaceuticals to diagnose and treat disease.

Theranostics and Personalized Precision Medicine

The Division of Molecular Imaging and Therapeutics provides personalized treatments to meet the growing complexity of patient needs. We offer precise evaluations of conditions such as lymphoma, prostate cancer, neuroendocrine neoplasms, cardiac disease, dementia, and metastatic disease. 

Theranostics refers to the diagnosis and treatment of cancer with radiotracers. During the diagnostic process, radiotracers travel to parts of the body affected by cancer, and emit a very small amount of radiation that can be detected with our state-of-the-art scanners. A radiologist reviews the images and makes a diagnosis. During the treatment process, the radiopharmaceutical travels to the cancer target, and a higher, therapeutic dose of radiation is precisely delivered to treat the cancer cells.

Looking ahead, we envision theranostics as a central pillar of personalized medicine. Our field is at the forefront of developing new radiopharmaceuticals to characterize the molecular biology of individual patients. By delivering unique and clinically relevant information, we are poised to help patients leverage rapidly emerging innovations across various medical disciplines.

Nuclear Medicine Scans

Our molecular imaging exams are commonly referred to as nuclear medicine scans. During a nuclear medicine scan, a very small amount of radioactive material is administered. Depending on the type of exam, this radiopharmaceutical is injected, inhaled, or swallowed. This material travels to different parts of the body that might be affected by disease. The patient lies under a camera that detects the small amount of radiation that is emitted from the affected organ. A radiologist then interprets the images to make a diagnosis.

We are deeply committed to providing our patients with the most advanced imaging equipment and innovative treatments available. Our state-of-the-art facilities within New York-Presbyterian Hospital (NYPH), Weill Cornell Imaging at NYP (WCINYP), and Citigroup Biomedical Imaging Center (CBIC) feature PET/MRI, PET/CT, SPECT/CT, and general-purpose SPECT devices. To our knowledge, this investment stands as the most substantial commitment by a single institution to these cutting-edge technologies.

Nuclear Medicine Residency

Our one-, two-, three-year ACGME-accredited Nuclear Medicine Residency Program (ACGME Number: 2003511052) provides specialized training in both diagnostic and therapeutic nuclear medicine. Learn more.