10/28/2026
🎉 Meet four of our 2026 Academy Distinguished Investigators!
In the weeks leading up to RSNA, we’re celebrating all 55 honorees advancing radiology and biomedical imaging.
Today’s spotlight:
Sandip Biswal, MD | University of Wisconsin-Madison
Dr. Biswal has advanced musculoskeletal molecular imaging by pioneering PET/MRI to identify pain generators occult on conventional imaging, linking imaging biomarkers with precision-guided interventions.
Nick Burris, MD | University of Wisconsin-Madison
Dr. Burris’s research focuses on developing computational imaging tools to improve the assessment and management of aortic disease. His work includes three-dimensional mapping of aortic growth and NIH-funded studies of hemodynamic and biomechanical imaging in aortic dissection, aiming to better predict which patients are at risk of progression.
Zhenxin (Jason) Cai, PhD | Yale University
Dr. Cai develops and translates novel PET imaging probes for neuropsychiatric diseases and oncology. He contributed to the development of the F-18-labeled SV2A PET tracers for quantifying synaptic density in the central nervous system which are extensively used at PET centers around the world. Recently, his lab translated [11C]PyBic into a first-in-human study at Yale to enable the quantification of PARP1 in human brain for the first time, providing an unprecedented imaging tool for clinical applications in neuro-oncology and neurodegenerative diseases.
Kai Chen, PhD | University of Southern California
Dr. Kai Chen has advanced radiopharmaceutical science by integrating innovative radiochemistry with molecularly targeted PET probe development to improve disease imaging and advance precision medicine. He established a click chemistry approach for the rapid synthesis of diverse radiolabeled imaging agents, providing a broadly adaptable radiolabeling strategy. His work has also improved access to clinically relevant radiotracers for imaging tumor proliferation and receptor expression.
