Jean-Luc Urbain, MD, PhD, has been named president of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI).
In his new role, Urbain plans to advance the practice of theranostics, an emerging medical approach that combines molecular imaging techniques to assess disease progression and treat the disease in a targeted, precise way, often referred to as “see what you treat, treat what you see."
“As SNMMI president, I plan to focus on bringing and integrating radiopharmaceutical theranostics into the clinic to benefit as many patients as possible," Urbain said in an SNMMI statement. "This will require an emphasis on research, government approvals, education, training, quality and safety of practice issues, and reimbursement concerns."
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SNMMI President Jean-Luc Urbain, MD, PhDSNMMI
He has been recognized as a healthcare executive management diplomate by the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Ohio, an academic management diplomate by Harvard Macy Institute, and Ivey Business School in London, Ontario, Canada, and an American College of Physicians executive diplomate, certified physician executive.
Within the SNMMI, Urbain currently chairs the Committee on Chapters and is a member of several workgroups, including the Center of Excellence Task Force and Therapy Center of Excellence Task Force. He is also a Radiopharmaceuticals Center of Excellence reviewer.
Over his 35-plus-year career, Urbain has held many academic appointments at the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium, Temple University in Philadelphia, University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, and most recently as nuclear radiology and nuclear cardiology fellowship program director at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC.
Urbain received his medical degree from the University of Louvain Medical School in Brussels, Belgium, where he completed residencies in medicine and medical imaging and nuclear medicine. He was a fellow at Temple University and earned his doctoral degree from the Temple University Fels Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Biology.
A professor of radiology and nuclear medicine, Urbain has published approximately 100 journal articles and 15 book chapters and has given more than a thousand invited speaker presentations. He is co-editor of the international outreach ePatient magazine.
