“We would like to offer our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, associates, and colleagues of Dr. Welch.” said Kim Pierce, Executive Director of WMIS.

“This is a very sad day for the molecular imaging community. We have lost a great scientist, educator, and friend. His contributions to the field are enormous.” said Juri Gelovani, President of WMIS.

Dr. Michael Welch received his B.A. Degree in Natural Sciences from Cambridge University, England, 1961, his M.A. Degree in Natural Sciences from Cambridge University, England, 1964, and his Ph.D. Degree Chemistry – University of London, England, 1965. Dr. Welch’s worked at Washington University School of Medicine since 1967.

He pioneered several innovations including techniques for production of different radionuclides utilizing biomedical cyclotrons as well as the development and evaluation of novel radiolabeled agents for positron emission tomography.

Dr. Welch won several prestigious academic and industry awards, including the Gold Medal Achievement Award from WMIS (formerly, Society of Molecular Imaging) in 2007.

Commenting on this great loss for the molecular imaging field, Dr. Zaver Bhujwalla, upcoming President of WMIS said ” A visionary with an awe-inspiring intellect, he leaves behind a great legacy. “

“He made so many contributions to our field. We stand together in sadness to commemorate and recognize this great scholar, teacher and researcher. He was an inspiration to generations of successful trainees, many of whom are thought leaders in molecular imaging, and through them his legacy will live on” said Dr. Robert Gillies, former President of WMIS.

Please leave your comments below in the Comments Section.

WMIS is an academic and professional society for Molecular Imaging. From leading projects such as PET awareness campaigns and registry management on the clinical side to developing powerful preclinical models and training programs, WMIS is active across the entire spectrum of Molecular Imaging. WMIS is the world’s most innovative and leading society in molecular imaging and molecular medicine. With the rise of the molecular imaging industry and the associated research, WMIS is the only organization that is connecting all the dots in the industry and is working to bring all stakeholders together by Smashing the Silos and Leading Innovation Convergence in molecular medicine through imaging; both for practitioners and researchers, who are defining the future of molecular imaging, WMIS enhances the potential and applications of innovation. www.wmis.org  

Washington DC, (April 18, 2012) – The World Molecular Imaging Society and Cambridge Healthtech Institute have partnered on a short course taking plan June 6, 2012 in Philadelphia, PA that will also be streamed over the internet to cater to the international marketplace.

The short course – Molecular Imaging in Drug Discovery & Development: Back to Basics – will feature presentations from industry experts and leading academicians brought together to discuss how choosing the right imaging technology, understanding the strengths and limitations of available modalities and their ideal combination with imaging tools is therefore of utmost importance.

Presentations will be given by Simon Williams, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, Biomedical Imaging, Genentech, Thomas Bocan, Ph.D., Senior Director, Pre-Clinical Imaging, Pharmatherapeutics Precision Medicine, Worldwide Research & Development, Pfizer, Inc., Erik M. Shapiro, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Diagnostic Radiology and Biomedical Engineering, Yale University School of Medicine, and James Gee, PhD, Professor and Director, Penn Image and Computing Science Laboratory, University of Pennsylvania.

“We are excited by the opportunity to provide the imaging community with a comprehensive overview of preclinical molecular imaging, its challenges and applications. This training course, designed in collaboration with World Molecular Imaging Congress (WMIC), will feature an array of important topics such as strength and limitations of various imaging modalities in drug discovery and development, preclinical PET and MRI, and quantitative image analysis. The collaboration is intended to bring together imaging specialists working in academic and industry settings. The geographically broad community of WMIC is offered with an option to join the course remotely via webcast,” said Conference Producer Marina Filshtinsky, M.D.

This short course is to be held in conjunction with the 11^th Annual World Pharmaceutical Congress, taking place June 5-7, 2012 in Philadelphia. World Pharma Congress covers topics around drug discovery for various therapeutic areas (Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, Pain), technologies related to discovery and development (Preclinical Models in Oncology and Molecular Imaging) and topics related to drug safety (Cardiotoxicity and Hepatotoxicity). The conferences all offer informative and pragmatic viewpoints for tackling issues relevant to chemists, biologists, pharmacologists, toxicologists and clinicians alike. Each conference features presentations, interactive panels and technology talks that cover the very latest on the topic, both on the scientific and the technical side.

Additional information can be found at www.WorldPharmaCongress.com

FDA Panel has recommended the approval of U-Systems’ Automated Breast Ultrasound System. While the recommendation for approval does not automatically imply that the approval will be granted, FDA does generally follow the recommendations of its panels.

U-Systems’ ABUS tool is used for women with dense breasts – a population segment of more than 1/3^rd of the women in the United States. If approval is granted, U-Systems’ ABUS will become the approved device used as an adjunct to mammography for breast cancer screening in women with dense breast.

In many cases mammography alone cannot always detect cancer in women with dense breasts. Integrating a 3D ultrasound test with the existing tests can increase the likelihood of detecting cancer that may go undetected otherwise.

WMIS welcomes the development as it introduces ultrasound in the diagnostic mix for breast cancer screening. It also opens doors for novel emerging modalities in cancer diagnostics. Many members of WMIS and participants of WMIS’s flagship event WMIC are involved in the development of novel technologies. Several members of WMIS and presenters at WMIC have developed solutions for pre-clinical and are now conducting research to understand the clinical applications.

WMIS takes a modality neutral view of the world. For WMIS members the recommendation for the approval of ultrasound test implies a step forward for the acceptance of new and emerging modalities. “For women, this is great news. It is also a powerful and motivating development for the researchers and members of WMIS who are developing novel solutions for patients.” said Kim Pierce, Executive Director of WMIS and a breast cancer survivor. 

Alex Kleinman

Al Naqvi:Alex Kleinman of Bioscan is one of the top industry experts in molecular imaging and I am honored to interview him. WMIS has now become the central knowledge dissemination medium for the industry, and will be publishing interviews of industry leaders on a regular basis.

Al Naqvi: Thank you for joining us.Welcome to WMIS! My first question is about your background. Please tell us about your background and experience.

Alex Kleinman: I have been in the healthcare industry since late 90s. I started with the DC-area healthcare think tank The Advisory Board Company. Then, after completing my MBA from Wharton/UPenn I spent six years with McKinsey and Company in their life sciences practice. While at McKinsey, I focused on several areas within life sciences, including private equity due diligence, strategic marketing, commercial operations and health-economics/healthcare reform. I joined Bioscan in 2009. At Bioscan, I led the company’s analytic instrumentation and radiochemistry business line until it was acquired by Eckert & Ziegler Radiopharma. I am currently VP of Marketing and Business Development. In that role I am responsible for leading development and execution of global and regional plans, programs, partnerships and transactions to support achievement of revenue growth for all Bioscan products.

Al Naqvi: Please tell us about Bioscan.

Alex Kleinman: Bioscan is a leading provider of preclinical, nano-tomographic molecular imaging solutions that enable groundbreaking life sciences research. Preclinical imaging uses molecule biomarkers in animals to conduct in-vivo studies that generate more relevant, consistent biological data while reducing research cost and complexity. Bioscan’s innovative nuclear (PET & SPECT), optical, X-Ray CT and MRI imaging tools are used by more than 100 leading academic and government research institutions and life sciences companies worldwide to improve their disease, drug discovery and development research. The unique imaging performance enabled by Bioscan’s patented technologies makes it possible to translate research protocols and results directly from animal models of diseases to human clinical trials, enabling faster, more efficient development of new therapies.

At Bioscan we take special pride in “not invented here” research—most of our products emerge from partnerships with academia or other companies. For example, in 2004, we partnered with Dr. Nils Schramm of the Juelich Research Center in Germany to develop the core technology behind our flagship NanoSPECT/CT system. Our BioFLECT system is grounded in IP licensed from Florida-based Imaging Diagnostic Systems, Inc.. We continue to work with other scientists from academia to develop new and innovative products. In fact, this is our preferred model of innovation.

Al Naqvi: What are the major operational issues facing research organizations these days?

Alex Kleinman: The challenges are distinct to each segment of the biomedical research market.

In today’s rapidly changing business environment Pharma/Biotech players face 1) historically low productivity on R&D spending; 2) higher regulatory barriers to new drug approval; and 3) higher comparative effectiveness and health-economic standards as evidence-based medicine requires systematically identifying, evaluating, and applying high-quality research to make better clinical and reimbursement decisions. On the academic and government side, we observe: 1) A decline in governments’ financial support for research, except in Asia, where we are observing an increase in investment; 2) Increased pressure from a new breed of business-oriented administrators who are asking for research centers to act as profit centers. In general they are refocusing the research departments to become more astute financially. Also, the role of these administrators is becoming broader and more impactful – a natural consequence of tighter financial environment and operating constraints.

Al Naqvi: How do research organizations determine their performance? How should they?

Alex Kleinman: For most Pharma/Biotech companies research performance is measured primarily by the volume of NCEs, INDs and/or NDAs depending upon where you are located in the organization. Some more advanced organizations are beginning to incorporate financial measures such as Net Present Value, and other comparative effectiveness and health-economic measures into their performance evaluation efforts.

In academia, success is typically measured through publication and grant activity. Publications help measure the volume and quality of research work as well as overall academic reputation and are consequently a sine qua non measure for Academia. However, we see administrators increasing the emphasis on (already important) generation of grant funding and valuable intellectual property for the university. This is a reflection of the financial strain these institutions face. One emerging opportunity is the development of measures related to downstream application of research results in the clinical setting.

Al Naqvi: How does the choice of modality and the modality type (dual, multi, etc) accelerate the drug development process?

Alex Kleinman: Each in-vivo modality has strengths and weaknesses that affect utility at different phases of the drug development process. In discovery research and early preclinical development phases, optical and ultrasound are very efficient. They are comparatively inexpensive and fast, and they don’t require special permits or capabilities (e.g, radiochemistry) to operate. On the downside, these systems typically provide more qualitative information, and lack some of the translation capabilities of the other modalities. The Nuclear, X-Ray and MRI modalities are better suited for preclinical development and clinical development due to their higher quantification and translation capabilities. The coupling of nuclear imaging (PET, SPECT) and X-Ray CT has proven to be extremely fruitful in diagnosing a variety of diseases. Tissue characterization has been improved by combining the specificity of radiopharmaceuticals and the 3D imaging capabilities of modern CT scans. Magnetic Resonance Imaging coupled with PET offers interesting possibilities concerning cancer detection, e.g., breast cancer, prostate cancer and brain tumors. At Bioscan, our strategy is to provide a number of multimodality solutions so that we can support our customers across all stages of disease research and drug development.

Al Naqvi: How does molecular imaging improve the performance of research organizations?

Alex Kleinman: I believe, and data supports, that using molecular imaging researchers can:

1. Receive earlier information about the efficacy and safety of drugs, through which they can accelerate promising compounds into the clinic and kill losers earlier.

2. Lower the chances of late stage attrition. In many cases drugs that are effective in test tube or ex-vivo studies will fail in in-vivo disease models (e.g., due to unexpected toxicity, response differences due to genetic variability, etc.)

3. Lower development costs due to more efficient use of animal models and reduction in expensive pathology and ex-vivo analyses.

Al Naqvi: There are many areas in the healthcare research that can benefit from molecular imaging, however we observe very slow adoption. Why?

Alex Kleinman: I believe there are three reasons why we see slow adoption in some market segments:

First, in some cases there are vested interests – existing technology or human resource investments, internal political considerations and the like — that may actively resist transition to new technologies and approaches.

Second, FDA has yet to issue clear guidance on how in-vivo imaging data can be used in regulatory filings. I think the lack of such standards slows investment in molecular imaging because it puts at risk some of the potential benefits. I think this is a key area where the WMIS can be a helpful catalyst.

Third, I think many biologists and biochemists remain unfamiliar with the potential of in-vivo imaging to help them solve their research problems. Here, building stronger alliances and increased collaboration between imaging organizations and therapeutic area organizations, academia and big pharma can truly help standardize and therefore enhance the use of molecular imaging.

Al Naqvi: How about the impact of new agents within the molecular imaging field?

Alex Kleinman: Imaging agents, like all diagnostics, face significant market risk due to what I’ll call “clinical relevance”. By that I mean, if an imaging agent gives you information that does not enable a beneficial change in the treatment of patients, no payor will agree to reimburse it. That is why we see the focus in the pharma industry on companion diagnostics. I believe that we are now in a period where in some areas the potential of new imaging agents is running ahead of the potential of new therapeutics. This, in combination with the challenging healthcare spending environment we face accounts for the slow pace of approval and reimbursement. In this situation, I think the industry will be best served by focusing on the health economic benefit of new imaging agents in the pipeline—potentially in areas like image-guided tumor surgery where the treatment already exists and the imaging agent enables earlier and/or more effective application.

Al Naqvi: How do you see innovation in molecular imaging impacting radiology?

It is important to realize that over the past 20-30 years a lot of imaging procedure volume in the US has migrated from an inpatient setting to an outpatient setting. Since radiology departments don’t control that patient flow, this transition has often been driven by other specialties (e.g., orthopedists, cardiologists) self-referring to imaging equipment located within their own practices. This trend has dramatically reduced radiology service line profitability at many hospitals. In recent years, CMS has tried to rectify the situation by targeting outpatient imaging centers for reimbursement cuts.

Over time, the reimbursement reductions will drive increased imaging patient flows back to the inpatient setting. While this trend will likely slow the sale of imaging equipment to outpatient centers, there is a potential silver lining for academic medical centers involved in molecular imaging innovation. Potentially, academic medical centers can leverage their capability as early adopters of new agents and enhanced modalities to establish a new level of clinical impact to “returning” referring physicians and their patients, thereby increasing imaging procedure growth. Since new agents are often reimbursed fairly well at the outset, the overall impact on imaging service line economics could be substantial. That benefit could in turn justify increased investment in molecular imaging R&D and clinical infrastructure.

Al Naqvi: Should research capabilities acquired from purchasing the molecular imaging equipment determine the research direction or should it be the other way around?

Alex Kleinman: I believe that this question is more of an organizational behavioral issue. Ultimately research questions must come from insights into disease progression, drug targets, potential mechanisms of action, etc. However, in many cases medical physicists have to educate their users to understand the potential of the molecular imaging equipment. There are biologists who understand the value of molecular imaging and then there are those who need awareness building. This is an area where targeted outreach programs can be really helpful. Helping biologists and biochemists think through their research objectives and enabling them to see the value of molecular imaging can be a powerful stimulus for increasing adoption.

Al Naqvi: Do you think that research organizations are maximizing their use of capabilities offered by existing equipment choices? If not, why not?

Alex Kleinman: I don’t think that is happening today. As I mentioned earlier, the internal communications capability of molecular imaging departments need to be improved. A large segment of life sciences researchers is not familiar with the capabilities of in vivo imaging. Only through awareness building and communications can these researchers be developed into viable internal clients of molecular imaging departments. To support the awareness creation, we need to provide ample proof that in-vivo results are valid, acceptable to technical and business decision makers within the biopharma industry, to regulators, and to payors.

Al Naqvi: In this time of grant funding cuts, how can research organizations optimize their investments?

Alex Kleinman: At the institutional level, we see broadening the funding base to include commercial funders in the form of academic/pharma partnerships as a very productive strategy. This is particularly true in areas like nuclear imaging, where clinical nuclear medicine departments already have all of the capabilities in place to do this research. Also, broadening the applications focus of your imaging center to include multiple therapeutic areas may help to increase eligibility for funding.

My advice to the imaging research centers will be to start functioning like a profit center. Use a chargeback model, keep a lean staff, empower your users to operate the equipment and perform data analysis wherever possible, market aggressively to internal customers, and seek external customers if you have extra capacity. Sell tracers externally if you are producing them and have excess capacity. With a good business plan and consistent performance in place, you will be able to attract the administration’s attention and they will be more supportive of co-investment when external funding is insufficient to meet your needs.

Al Naqvi:We observe a lot of functionality and features driven sales approach for equipment. In the current business environment, do you think the focus should be on how customers can realize research benefits and positive outcomes from using the equipment?

Alex Kleinman: I think this is a generalization that is perhaps more true of the nuclear and MRI segments than other parts of the imaging equipment market. However, on the research side we certainly feel that we need to do more selling applications to biologists and biochemists. That is a major focus for Bioscan right now.

Al Naqvi:What are some of the main initiatives undertaken by your company to add value for research institutions and the molecular imaging field that goes beyond marketing products?

Alex Kleinman: At Bioscan we are involved in many areas that are helping the industry. We are actively involved in several societies – including WMIS. We actively participate in educational programs and sponsor workshops. We have made a significant investment in Ph.D.-level applications support staff who work with our customers to ensure they get value out of our products and to help them determine how to address their most challenging research questions. We foster collaboration between our customers wherever possible and we also link institutional customers with in-vivo CROs when necessary. Finally, we maintain a repository of hundreds of applications and research abstracts for use by our customers.

Al Naqvi:The rapid consolidation in the industry and grant cuts would force companies to think about increasing their value equation for their customers. How are you approaching this unique challenge?

Alex Kleinman: Bioscan understands the constraints our customers are facing and we are always cognizant of the value-cost equation. On the cost side, we continually strive to reduce our manufacturing and operating costs so that we can help our customers deal with their financial constraints. We also support our customers in generating funding applications and we provide alternative funding approaches such as leasing. On the value side, we are investing aggressively in R&D so that we can bring truly transformational products to the market, with capabilities we think will help our customers justify new investments in imaging technology.

Al Naqvi:Do you think that entry into the clinical markets offers the best way forward for companies focused on preclinical? Why or why not?

Alex Kleinman: Yes and no! While the clinical market is attractive for investors, who see the higher potential available in a significantly larger market, there are a number of additional risks, including regulatory approval, and the market readiness issue I mentioned earlier. Bioscan considers the research imaging market to be a distinctive segment with distinctive requirements and unique potential to achieve gains in human health. We are exclusively focused on exceeding the expectations of these demanding customers.

Al Naqvi: Please share with us some major developments at your company.

Alex Kleinman: Well, Bioscan is proud to announce that we recently installed our 100th in-vivo imaging system. That’s a significant milestone for us. We were also excited to learn in January that our new 360-degree tomographic optical imager, BioFLECT, was awarded 2nd place in The Scientist magazine’s Top 10 Innovations of 2011. BioFLECT uses a rotating ring of high-sensitivity photodetectors with a wide dynamic range, which permits whole body, deep tissue imaging to generate a quantitative, 3D scan of fluorescent tracers in live animals

In addition, last year we began a major R&D initiative to develop preclinical PET/MR imaging systems. Bioscan is a principal industrial partner of the IMAPPI (Integrated Magnetic resonance And Positron emission tomography in Preclinical Imaging) project, an effort funded by the French Commissariat Général à l’Investissement and led by a consortium of academic and industrial partners located in Dijon France. As the Bioscan contribution to IMAPPI, Bioscan’s French subsidiary, Bioscan Molecular Imaging France (BMIF) will develop a prototype molecular imaging devices integrating highly innovative MRI and PET technologies. We expect to commercialize new products related to this R&D activity between 2012 and 2014.

Al Naqvi: Thank you so much for adding tremendous value for our readers. This was extremely helpful.

Alex Kleinman: You are very welcome.    

Washington DC, Toronto, Canada, Shoham,
Israel (PRWEB) April 03, 2012

Aspect Imaging, the world leading developer of high-performance compact permanent magnets, announced the expanded cooperation with Bruker Corporation on manufacturing and distributing easy-to-use compact magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems. Aspect will provide its patented technology to Bruker for use in its Icon compact high-performance 1 Tesla MRI system. In addition, Aspect will focus on its clinical and industrial markets and will transition the growing pre-clinical demand for its M2™ systems to Bruker, who will service academic and pharmaceutical researchers with its leading Icon platform that includes the Aspect front-end componentry.

“Building on our strong partnership with Bruker, we will no longer sell the M2 system directly to the pre-clinical market but will instead refer all prospective customers to the Bruker Icon, which uses our complete front-end including our novel 1 Tesla permanent magnet and gradients,” says Uri Rapoport, Aspect Imaging’s Founder and CEO. “Aspect Imaging will continue to develop new products for the pre-clinical market but will work closely with Bruker to offer these new capabilities through the Icon platform. This strong partnership for the pre-clinical market will allow Aspect to focus on our core clinical and advanced industrial markets, where the M2 platform has the opportunity to provide novel solutions unavailable through any other tool or modality”.

“Recognizing the amazing response to the Icon as well as the leading Aspect 1 Tesla magnet and gradients, we are simplifying the customer experience by only having one compact MRI system — the Icon — and yet allowing the customer to benefit from the best-in-class Aspect magnet front end,“ says Dr. Wulf I. Jung, Managing Director at Bruker BioSpin. “In the few months since our introduction of the Icon, we have had significant interest and multiple orders globally and look forward to further penetrating the pre-clinical market with the Icon, which is the unmatched leading platform for compact high-performance MRI systems”.

Aspect’s pre-clinical team will support the transition of existing M2 customers to Bruker and will continue to work with Bruker’s Icon team to fully realize the growing demand for the Icon globally.

For more information on the Icon compact MRI system utilizing the M2 front-end magnet and gradients, visithttp://www.bruker.com/icon.

About WMIS and WMIC: 
WMIS (http://www.wmis.org) is the world’s most innovative and leading society in molecular imaging and molecular medicine. With the rise of the molecular imaging industry and the associated research, WMIS is the only organization that is connecting all the dots in the industry and is working to bring all stakeholders together by Smashing the Silos and Leading Innovation Convergence in molecular medicine; both for practitioners and researchers, who are defining the future of molecular imaging, WMIS enhances the potential and applications of innovation. WMIC is the flagship event of WMIS. It is the world’s most innovative, science and technology led, event in Molecular Imaging. It brings the world’s top molecular imaging scientists, technology experts, researchers, and business leaders together to define the future of the molecular imaging field. As the most exciting event in the field, it attracts participation from across the entire value chain of molecular imaging.

About Aspect Imaging: 
Aspect Imaging (http://www.aspectimaging.com) is the world’s leader in high-performance compact MRI imaging systems for pre-clinical, clinical and advanced industrial applications. In the pre-clinical research market, Aspect has an arrangement to supply its M2™ magnet and gradients to Bruker Bio-Spin for use in its leading Icon™ compact MRI platform. Due to its high-performance M2 permanent magnet and suite of related products, the Icon enables academic researchers and pharmaceutical companies to harness the power and insights of MRI but without the cost, complexity and technical burden of traditional MRI systems. Aspect Imaging’s novel permanent magnets are also used in advanced industrial applications including rheology where the M2 instruments can operate inline on large-scale production lines for food processing, consumer products, biofuels and other applications providing real-time, non-invasive and quantitative read-outs for process and quality control. Aspect also has multiple clinical programs underway including efforts to provide highly efficient just-in-place compact MRI for a range of clinical applications including safe, quiet, and economical imaging for extremity imaging.

About Bruker 
Bruker Corporation is a leading provider of high-performance scientific instruments and solutions for molecular and materials research, as well as for industrial and applied analysis. For more information, please visithttp://www.bruker.com.

For further information, please contact:

Al Naqvi 
WMIS 
T. 703-421-2229

Robert Sandler                 
SVP, Marketing              
Aspect Imaging             
T. 416.274.8166                 
E. rsandler(at)aspectimaging(dot)com

Dr. Thorsten Thiel 
Bruker Director of Marketing Communications 
T: +49 (721) 5161 – 6517 
E: thorsten(dot)thiel(at)bruker(dot)com

• Foster the career development and advancement of women in molecular imaging sciences through all stages of their careers.
• Take an advocacy position within the WMIS on issues of importance to women in molecular imaging sciences.
• Provide leadership for career development opportunities for women in molecular imaging sciences.
• Promote and recognize the professional and scientific accomplishments of women in molecular imaging sciences.

Our misson is aligned with the WMIS goal of accelerating the global growth of moleular imaging in academic institutions and industry.

2. Spectrum of Activities

1. Initial Activities:

1. First face-to-face WIMIS-IG meeting to be held at WMIC 2012.

1. WIMIS-IG Secretary and Founding Members will organize a networking event at WMIC 2012, open to all interested WMIS members.  The goal of this first meeting will be to introduce the WIMIS-IG as an established WMIS Interest Group, and to gather ideas from the community about relevant topics and strategies for future WIMIS-IG activities.

1. Recurring Activities:

1. NIBIB Sponsorship of a WIMIS-IG Lecture at WMIC annual meetings that occur in the US (to start in 2013).  The WIMIS-IG Lecturer will be an exemplary woman scientist who is both an outstanding researcher and mentor.  

1. NIBIB will provide travel and lodging funds to the WIMIS-IG Lecturer.
2. WIMIS-IG Lecturer Nominees will be selected by the WIMIS-IG and forwarded to the WMIC conference planning committee for consideration.

1. Establishment of a WIMIS-IG networking event to occur on the first day of each WMIC annual meeting. :

1. The format and content of the networking event will be determined by the WIMIS-IG Secretary and presented to WMIS Board of Trustees (BOT) for consideration.  Potential topics for future events are:

1. Develoment of Professional Skills at all career levels
2. Leadership Skills for Senior Scientists
3. Work/Life Balance
4. Mentoring
5. Transition from a postdoctoral fellow to a faculty position in Academia or to a scientist in Industry (pros and cons)
6. Obtaining funding
7. Conflict resolution and negotiation
8. Identify and address specific challenges for women in imaging sub-fields within which the representation of women is very small
9. Publish/share stories/achievements of women in molecular imaging on WMIS Interest Group blog/website
10. Post videos from key talks, and offer webinars

3. Strategic Directions

1. Address the pipe-line issues:

1. Attracting women students from chemistry, biology, physics, engineering and clinical medicine to pursue a career in molecular imaging
2. Increasing the number of women post-doctoral fellows and students in molecular imaging that make a successful transition to academic faculty positions
3. Increasing the number of top women from the physical and imaging sciences and clinical medicine who specialize in molecular imaging.
4. Providing early and mid-career women in molecular imaging with the skills and knowledge necessary to advance to higher level administrative positions
5. Providing the industry perspective on mentoring and career challenges
6. Developing global collaborations and mentoring

4. Leadership and Administrative Plan

1. Secretary:

1. 2-year term.  The inaugural Secretary will be elected as specified in the WMIS Standard Operating Procedures.  Subsequent holders of this position will be elected by WIMIS-IG members.
2. Responsibilities:

1. Provide overall leadership for all WIMIS-IG activities
2. Represent WIMIS-IG in all WMIS Interest Group Functions, outlined in the WMIS Standard Operating Procedures.
3. Coordinate selection nomination process for WIMIS-IG Lecturer
4. Coordinate content and format for annual networking event
5. Identify additional activities for WIMIS-IG and establish ad hoc sub-IG committees to implement those activities as required
6. Preparation and circulation of Committee meeting minutes, the collection and security of all Committee documents, and their delivery to the World Molecular Imaging Society Office as part of the records of the Society.

5. Tentative Budget

1. Annual Meeting:

1. Cost of a meeting room to hold up to (estimated) 100 people for annual WIMIS-IG event:
2. Possibly providing or subsidizing refreshments for the WIMIS-IG event

   
6. Founding Members

If you are a Member in good standing of WMIS and would like to be a Founding Member of the Women in Molecular Sciences Interest Group, please sign up here by April 1, 2012.

• We are interested in establishing a Women in Molecular Imaging Sciences – Interest Group
• To do that, we must submit a petition to the WMIS Board of Trustees, endorsed by at least 15 members in good standing of the  World Molecular Imaging Society.
• If you are interested in learning more about the proposed plans, please see the full text of the petition here.
• If you are a member in good standing of the WMIS and would like to be a Founding Member of the WMIS-IG,  please sign up to volunteer here.
• And please invite any other interested WMIS members to volunteer too.

The BioSpec^® series is designed for the emerging market of preclinical and molecular MR imaging. State-of-the-art MRI CryoProbe™ technology together with ultra-high field USR magnets deliver high spatial resolution in vivo enabling customers to come closer to the molecular and cellular level research they desire. Thanks to its innovative modular concept, virtually any small animal MR imaging application in life science, biomedical and preclinical research can be conducted. Whatever your application is, the BioSpec series will deliver the optimum solution, will perfectly equipping you for the most demanding tasks and challenges.

Main features:

 USR magnet technology from 4.7 up to 11.7 Tesla

• A wide range of bore sizes between 16 and 40 cm
• Helium zero-boil-off and Nitrogen free magnet technology for reduced maintenance costs and longer service intervals
• Scalable AVANCE III RF architecture incorporates up to 16 receiver and 6 transmitter channels
• Fully compatible with MRI CryoProbe™ to deliver an exceptional increase in sensitivity of 150 %
• High performance BGA-S gradients available
• Animal positioning system AutoPac for routine handling and increased throughput
• ParaVision^® – Intuitive software package, for multi-dimensional MRI/MRS data acquisition, reconstruction, analysis and visualization

Contact: http://www.bruker-biospin.com/biospec.html

FDA has published the Questions and Answers guidance on regulation of new PET products.

“FDA Oversight of PET Drug Products–Questions and Answers.” The draft guidance provides questions and answers that address nearly all aspects of the FDA approval and surveillance processes, including application submission, review, compliance with good manufacturing practices, inspections, registration and listing, and user fees.

The reports are now available, Please: