Nuclear Medicine seminars

Meagan McManus examines mitochondrial dysfunction as an early driver of brain ageing and neurodegeneration. Reactive oxygen species and other mitochondrial stress signals connect impaired energy metabolism with glial activation. The talk presents preclinical evidence for [18F]ROStrace PET, a redox-sensitive tracer that crosses the blood–brain barrier, as a non-invasive way to detect mitochondrial and immune distress before overt pathology in models relevant to late-onset Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Online via the University of Arizona Zoom meeting. Use the Zoom link published on the organizer’s event page. Tuesday 22 September 2026, 16:00–17:00 MST (America/Phoenix; UTC−7). Organized by the Graduate Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience and the Department of Neuroscience. This listing advertises the verified remote attendance option.

The use of molecular imaging, particularly PET and SPECT, has significantly transformed the treatment of schizophrenia with antipsychotic drugs since the late 1980s. It has offered insights into the links between drug target engagement, clinical effects, and side effects. A therapeutic window for receptor occupancy is established for antipsychotics, yet there is a divergence of opinions regarding the importance of blood levels, with many downplaying their significance. As a result, the role of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) as a personalized therapy tool is often underrated. Since molecular imaging of antipsychotics has focused almost entirely on D2-like dopamine receptors and their potential to control positive symptoms, negative symptoms and cognitive deficits are hardly or not at all investigated. Alternative methods have been introduced, i.e. to investigate the correlation between approximated receptor occupancies from blood levels and cognitive measures. Within the domain of antidepressants, and specifically regarding ketamine's efficacy in depression treatment, there is limited comprehension of the association between plasma concentrations and target engagement. The measurement of AMPA receptors in the human brain has added a new level of comprehension regarding ketamine's antidepressant effects. To ensure precise prescription of psychotropic drugs, it is vital to have a nuanced understanding of how molecular and clinical effects interact. Clinician scientists are assigned with the task of integrating these indispensable pharmacological insights into practice, thereby ensuring a rational and effective approach to the treatment of mental health disorders, signaling a new era of personalized drug therapy mechanisms that promote neuronal plasticity not only under pathological conditions, but also in the healthy aging brain.

Bispidines (3,7-diazabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane) and their derivatives act as bifunctional chelators (BFC), combining the advantages of multidentate macrocyclic and acyclic ligands e.g. high kinetic inertness, rapid radiolabelling under mild conditions. This bicyclic chelator system shows a great diversity in terms of its denticity and type of functional groups, yielding a wide range of multidentate ligands that can bind a variety of different metal ions. In addition, they allow a facile functionalisation of targeting molecules such as peptides, peptidomimetics, and bispeci􀄀c antibodies. Herein, examples of various bispidine complexes labelled with [64Cu]Cu2+, [111In]In3+, [ 177Lu]Lu3+ or [ 225Ac]Ac3+ will be presented which provide a picture of how different substituents in􀄁uence the coordination mode. Target-speci􀄀c radiolabelled bispidine-based conjugates (e.g. peptides, antibody fragments, antibodies) investigated in vivo by positron emission or single-photon emission computed tomography will be presented and discussed in terms of their suitability for nuclear medicine applications.

Talk 1. PET based biomarkers of treatment efficacy in temporal lobe epilepsy A critical aspect of drug development involves identifying robust biomarkers of treatment response for use as surrogate endpoints in clinical trials. However, these biomarkers also have the capacity to inform mechanisms of disease pathogenesis and therapeutic efficacy. In this webinar, Dr Bianca Jupp will report on a series of studies using the GABAA PET ligand, [18F]-Flumazenil, to establish biomarkers of treatment response to a novel therapeutic for temporal lobe epilepsy, identifying affinity at this receptor as a key predictor of treatment outcome. Dr Bianca Jupp is a Research Fellow in the Department of Neuroscience, Monash University and Lead PET/CT Scientist at the Alfred Research Alliance–Monash Biomedical Imaging facility. Her research focuses on neuroimaging and its capacity to inform the neurobiology underlying neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. Talk 2. The development of a PET radiotracer for reparative microglia Imaging of neuroinflammation is currently hindered by the technical limitations associated with TSPO imaging. In this webinar, Dr Lucy Vivash will discuss the development of PET radiotracers that specifically image reparative microglia through targeting the receptor kinase MerTK. This includes medicinal chemistry design and testing, radiochemistry, and in vitro and in vivo testing of lead tracers. Dr Lucy Vivash is a Research Fellow in the Department of Neuroscience, Monash University. Her research focuses on the preclinical development and clinical translation of novel PET radiotracers for the imaging of neurodegenerative diseases.

Monash Biomedical Imaging is part of the new $71.2 million Australian Precision Medicine Enterprise (APME) facility, which will deliver large-scale development and manufacturing of precision medicines and theranostic radiopharmaceuticals for industry and research. A key feature of the APME project is a high-energy cyclotron with multiple production clean rooms, which will be located on the Monash Biomedical Imaging (MBI) site in Clayton. This strategic co-location will facilitate radiochemistry, PET and SPECT research and clinical use of theranostic (therapeutic and diagnostic) radioisotopes produced on-site. In this webinar, MBI’s Professor Gary Egan and Dr Maggie Aulsebrook will explain how the APME will secure Australia’s supply of critical radiopharmaceuticals, build a globally competitive Australian manufacturing hub, and train scientists and engineers for the Australian workforce. They will cover the APME’s state-of-the-art 30 MeV and 18-24 MeV cyclotrons and radiochemistry facilities, as well as the services that will be accessible to students, scientists, clinical researchers, and pharmaceutical companies in Australia and around the world. The APME is a collaboration between Monash University, Global Medical Solutions Australia, and Telix Pharmaceuticals. Professor Gary Egan is Director of Monash Biomedical Imaging, Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function and a Distinguished Professor at the Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University. He is also lead investigator of the Victorian Biomedical Imaging Capability, and Deputy Director of the Australian National Imaging Facility. Dr Maggie Aulsebrook obtained her PhD in Chemistry at Monash University and specialises in the development and clinical translation of radiopharmaceuticals. She has led the development of several investigational radiopharmaceuticals for first-in-human application. Maggie leads the Radiochemistry Platform at Monash Biomedical Imaging.

Despite the challenges COVID-19 has continued to present, Monash Biomedical Imaging (MBI) has had another outstanding year in terms of publications and scientific output. In this webinar, Professor Gary Egan, Director of MBI, will present an overview of MBI’s achievements during 2021 and outline the biomedical imaging research programs and partnerships in 2022. His presentation will cover: • MBI operational and research achievements during 2021 • Biomedical imaging technology developments and research outcomes during 2021 • Linked laboratories and research teams at MBI • Progress on the development of a cyclotron and precision radiopharmaceutical facility at Clayton • Emerging research opportunities at the Monash Heart Hospital in cardiology and cardiovascular disease. Professor Gary Egan is Director of Monash Biomedical Imaging, Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function and a Distinguished Professor at the Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University. He is also lead investigator of the Victorian Biomedical Imaging Capability, and Deputy Director of the Australian National Imaging Facility. His substantive body of published work has made a significant impact on the neuroimaging and neuroscience fields. He has sustained success in obtaining significant grants to support his own research and the development of facilities to advance biomedical imaging.

In this talk I will present data from imaging studies that we have been conducting for the past 20 years trying to shed light on migraine physiopathology, from anatomical and functional MRI to positron emission tomography.

A major challenge of cognitive neuroscience is to understand how the brain as a network gives rise to our cognition. Simultaneous [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography functional magnetic resonance imaging (FDG-PET/fMRI) provides the opportunity to investigate brain connectivity not only via spatially distant, synchronous cerebrovascular hemodynamic responses (functional connectivity), but also glucose metabolism (metabolic connectivity). However, how these two modalities of brain connectivity differ in their relation to cognition is unknown. In this webinar, Dr Katharina Voigt will discuss recent findings demonstrating the advantage of simultaneous FDG-PET/fMRI in providing a more complete picture of the neural mechanisms underlying cognition, that calls for a combination of both modalities in future cognitive neuroscience. Dr Katharina Voigt is a Research Fellow within the Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University. Her research interests include systems neuroscience, simultaneous PET-MRI, and decision-making.

Personalised medicine will be greatly enhanced with the introduction of new radiopharmaceuticals for the diagnosis and treatment of various cancers, as well as cardiovascular disease and brain disorders. The unprecedented interest in developing theranostic radiopharmaceuticals is mainly due to the recent clinical successes of radiometal-based products including: • 177LuDOTA-TATE (trade name Lutathera, FDA approved in 2018), a peptide-based tracer that is used for treating metastatic neuroendocrine tumours • Ga 68 PSMA-11 (FDA approved in 2020), a positron emission tomography agent for imaging prostate-specific membrane antigen positive lesions in men with prostate cancer. In this webinar, Dr Brett Paterson and PhD candidate Mr Cormac Kelderman will present their research on developing the chemistry and radiochemistry to produce new radiometal-based imaging and therapy agents. They will discuss the synthesis of new molecules, the optimisation of the radiochemistry, and results from preclinical evaluations. Dr Brett Paterson is a National Imaging Facility Fellow at Monash Biomedical Imaging and academic group leader in the School of Chemistry, Monash University. His research focuses on the development of radiochemistry and new radiopharmaceuticals. Cormac Kelderman is a PhD candidate under the supervision of Dr Brett Paterson in the School of Chemistry, Monash University. His research focuses on developing new bis(thiosemicarbazone) chelators for technetium-99m SPECT imaging.

Cross-sectional and longitudinal multimodal brain imaging studies using positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have provided detailed insight into the pathophysiological progression of Alzheimer’s disease. It starts at an asymptomatic stage with widespread gradual accumulation of beta-amyloid and spread of pathological tau deposits. Subsequently changes of functional connectivity and glucose metabolism associated with mild cognitive impairment and brain atrophy may develop. However, the rate of progression to a symptomatic stage and ultimately dementia varies considerably between individuals. Mathematical models have been developed to describe disease progression, which may be used to identify markers that determine the current stage and likely rate of progression. Both are very important to improve the efficacy of clinical trials. In this lecture, I will provide an overview on current research and future perspectives in this area.

Molecular imaging using Positron Emission Tomography (PET) has become a major biomedical imaging technology. Its application towards characterisation of biochemical processes in disease could enable early detection and diagnosis, development of novel therapies and treatment evaluation. The technology is underpinned by the use of imaging probes radiolabelled with short-lived radioisotopes which can be specific and selective for biological targets in vivo e.g. markers for receptors, protein deposits, enzymes and metabolism. My talk will focus on the increasing development and application of PET imaging to clinical research in neurodegenerative diseases, for which it can be applied to delineate and understand the various pathological components of these disorders.