Gary Ulaner, MD, PhD, Elected President-Elect of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging

LOS ANGELES -- Gary Ulaner, MD, PhD, has been named president-elect of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI). Ulaner is currently James & Pamela Muzzy Endowed Chair of Molecular Imaging and Therapy at the Hoag Family Cancer Institute and is Professor of Radiology and Translational Genomics at the University of Southern California. SNMMI introduced a new slate of officers during its 2026 Annual Meeting, held May 30 - June 2 in Los Angeles.

"It is an honor to serve SNMMI and the nuclear medicine community at this pivotal time," said Ulaner. "The potential of nuclear medicine to transform the care of patients with cancer and other diseases is enormous, and we must continue to build the infrastructure, education, and support necessary to realize that promise."

In his role as president-elect, Ulaner is committed to advancing the SNMMI Mars Shot to support nuclear medicine research, expanding educational activities for nuclear medicine professionals, and driving growth and increasing funding for training new radiochemistry and physics professionals.

Ulaner earned his medical degree and a PhD in Cancer Biology from Stanford University School of Medicine in Stanford, California. He completed residencies in Nuclear Medicine and Diagnostic Radiology at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California. He also holds a bachelor of arts in biology from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Gary Ulaner, MD, PhD

Before moving to Hoag, Ulaner was an Associate Member (tenure track), at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and held several academic appointments at Memorial Hospital at Sloan Kettering. He holds certifications from the American Board of Radiology and the American Board of Nuclear Medicine.

An active SNMMI member, Ulaner has been involved in many aspects of the organization, including serving as director at large on the SNMMI board of directors, president of the PET Center of Excellence, vice chair of the Clinical Oncology track for the Annual Meeting, vice speaker in the House of Delegates, chair of the Mars Shot Campaign, and chair of the Outreach Domain of SNMMI's Value Initiative. Other committee memberships include Guidance Oversight, Procedures Standards, Councils and Centers, Government Relations, and Continuing Education. He authored SNMMI's Appropriate Use Criteria for Fluoroestradiol PET. He coordinated the establishment of SNMMI's lobular breast cancer grant with the Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance. He was named an SNMMI Fellow in 2023.

Over his career, Ulaner has won many awards and honors, including a Susan Komen for the Cure Career Catalyst Award, a Department of Defense Breakthrough Award, and a number of awards for excellence in education. He was selected as a Distinguished Investigator of the Academy for Radiology & Biomedical Imaging Research and named an Orange County Times Healthcare Visionary. He is on the editorial boards of several journals, including The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. His publications include more than 190 journal articles, and he has given more than 300 invited speaker presentations. He authored Fundamentals of Oncologic PET/CT, published in English and Spanish.

Other SNMMI officers elected for 2026-27 are Heather Jacene, MD, Boston, Massachusetts, as president and Jason S. Lewis, PhD, FSNMMI, New York, New York, as vice president-elect. SNMMI Technologist Section officers for 2026-27 are Shannon Youngblood, EdD, MSRS, CNMT, RT(CT), Greenwell Springs, Louisiana, as president and Sara L. Johnson, CNMT, RT(N)(CT), Wimauma, Florida, as president-elect.

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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, molecular imaging, and theranostics precision medicine that allows diagnosis and treatment to be tailored to individual patients in order to achieve the best possible outcomes. For more information, visit snmmi.org.