The Cyclotron / Research PET group is a loose consortium of collegues trying to bring the tools of physics and chemistry (the "hard sciences") to the aid of biological researchers who are bridging the fields of inquiry, ranging from clinical to basic science, as shown by the intersection of sets below:

In this set, A represents clinical demands, B represents basic science and C represents our research group.  This simple device organizes our efforts, in the fuzzy overlap with clinical responsibilities and basic research studies. As examples, today's predawn production of our 2000th batch of FDG for the clinic falls into A´C, while imaging changes in cerebral blood flow in the monkey with ¹⁷F-fluoromethane falls into B´C. Our group's tools break out into the major subdivisions of production, radiochemistry, imaging and hardware development. With all of this pre-amble, a less-than-exhaustive list of our research projects follows, organized along the boundaries of conventional medical disciplines.  

Neurosciences

Cerebral blood flow with very-short lived tracers (B´C) such as ¹⁰CO₂ (19 sec), H₂¹⁴O (71 sec), and ¹⁷F-fluoromethane (66 sec) is being imaged with PET in monkey models undergoing pharmacological challenge.
Neurotransmitter and receptor pathways are being imaged utilizing such ligands as fluoro-meta-tyrosine, fallypride and WAY 100635, in monkeys - both normal and those suffering from fetal alcohol syndrome.
Hardware is being developed for standardizing (A´B´C) the sensory input for visual stimulation in normals undergoing rCBF PET imaging of cortical function with the short-lived tracers above.

Cardiology

Fatty acid oxidative metabolism is being imaged in the fully instrumented swine model with ¹⁸F-labeled fluroro -thio-palmitate and FTHA.
The above tracers, along with Cu-labeled PTSM derivatives as flow agents, are being imaged in normals and patients with proven cardiomyopathy.
PET imaging with ^94mTc-labeled myocardial flow agents provides a bridge to bring quantitative accuracy to the SPECT agents used in conventional nuclear cardiology.

Oncology

Cell proliferation can be imaged with ¹⁸F-fluoro-L-thymidine (FLT), currently being implemented by our group. Regional oxygen tension within the tumor boundaries is imaged with either ¹⁸F- misonidazol derivatives, or the new Cu-labeled thiosemicarbazones.
FDG, and soon FLT and regional oxygenation, will play an increasingly larger role in the clinical staging of tumors. The response to treatment, chemotherapy and conformal radiation therapy, will be monitored with these PET protocols.

Basic PET physics (generally applicable)

Our CTI 933/04 PET scanner, dedicated to imaging research on research animals, is following a continual upgrade path:
                      1. de-VAXed
                      2. with OSEM
                      3. with transmission correction options including
                             a. singles or
                             b. the positron floodlight
                      4. in a fully instrumented research lab designed for extensive PET procedures on swine, 
                          canines or primates.
Ex vivo biodistribution of tracers on the 40 µm scale is imaged with our Packard Cyclone phosphor plate imaging system, perfectly complementing the dynamical capability of the PET scanner.
Cyclotron target development continues, with current directions toward molten targetry for the production of such long-lived precursors as I-124.