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Heather Jacene, MD, Named President of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging

LOS ANGELES -- Heather Jacene, MD, has been named president of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI). Jacene is currently Chief of Molecular Imaging and Theranostics at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Clinical Director of Nuclear Medicine/PET-CT and Senior Physician at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Associate Professor of Radiology at Harvard Medical School. SNMMI introduced a new slate of officers during its 2026 Annual Meeting, held May 30 - June 2 in Los Angeles.

"As president, my primary goal will be to strengthen SNMMI as a valuable resource for all members, from advancing the field's underlying basic science to providing excellent evidence-based patient care,"  stated Jacene. "I am committed to championing nuclear medicine's future through active listening, creative thinking, and bringing people and industries together to achieve common goals."

Jacene plans to create new opportunities for members to participate actively in SNMMI and conduct multidisciplinary collaborations. She will also raise awareness of nuclear medicine's value to clinical colleagues and patients, and will be laser-focused on breaking down barriers to radiopharmaceutical availability, reimbursement, affordability, and funding.

Jacene earned her medical degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and completed her residency in nuclear medicine and her fellowship in nuclear medicine/PET-CT at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland.

Heather Jacene, MD

An active SNMMI member, Jacene has been involved in many aspects of the organization. As Scientific Program Committee Chair, she has spearheaded reimagining the Annual Meeting, resulting in increased participation, networking, and innovation. She served as Quality of Practice Domain Chair for the SNMMI Value Initiative, and she helped develop the successful Radiopharmaceutical Centers of Excellence Program, ensuring quality delivery of radiopharmaceutical therapy. In addition to her service to SNMMI, Jacene also served as a director on the American Board of Nuclear Medicine.

Jacene's research focuses on using FDG-PET/CT and other novel tracers for characterizing and monitoring the response of cancer to therapy as well as the use of radiopharmaceutical therapy. She has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications, as well as reviews and book chapters.

Other SNMMI officers elected for 2026-27 are Gary Ulaner, MD, PhD, FSNMMI, Laguna Hills, California, as president-elect, 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.