ABSTRACT
Molecular imaging (MI) is finding transformative applications in the understanding, detection and
treatment of nearly all human diseases. The field of MI represents a fusion of diverse scientific
fields, including imaging technologies, molecular biology, and chemistry, that is providing major
new insights and advances to the scientific community. The World Molecular Imaging Society
(WMIS) embodies the field of MI as an organization dedicated to developing and promoting
preclinical and clinical imaging of various types at the atomic level, to understand and effectively
treat often life-threatening diseases of a variety of specialties, such as in oncology, infectious
disease, neurology, cardiology, rheumatology, and endocrinology. A distinguishing feature of
our society is the highly-integrated, multimodal approach that spans from scientific innovation to
patient care in the clinic. As an international scientific educational organization, active members
of WMIS include basic and translational scientists, clinicians, young researchers and students
from a wide variety of disciplines, with a dedicated common goal to the understanding of biology
and medicine through multimodal in vivo imaging of cellular and molecular events involved in
normal and pathologic processes and utilization of quantitative MI in patient care. The annual
World Molecular Imaging Congress (WMIC) is held for WMIS members and non-members
interested in the field, who come from both academics and industry, and is the only
comprehensive, international meeting of MI. Indeed, the WMIC is the epitome of MI that
provides a platform for scientists and clinicians with diverse backgrounds to interact, present,
and discuss and follow cutting-edge advances. The WMIS is actively seeking mechanisms to
maintain the impetus and rapid trajectories of this multidisciplinary transformative field, in
particular, by securing travel funds for post-doctoral fellows and graduate students. These
individuals will play future roles in deciding how MI is utilized in healthcare. The goal of this R13
is to obtain specific funds to cover costs that support the attendance of students at the graduate
and postdoctoral levels, especially encouraging women, underrepresented minorities and
persons with disabilities, enabling their attendance to the annual WMIC, next year in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on September 13-16, 2017.
