News

September 2, 2009

Applications Now Available for 2010-2012 SNM Wagner-Torizuka Fellowship

Prestigious program brings together American and Japanese researchers in nuclear medicine and molecular imaging

Reston, Va.—SNM is now accepting applications for its prestigious Wagner-Torizuka Fellowship. Applications are available online and will be accepted through January 31, 2010.

The Wagner-Torizuka Fellowship program, now entering its third year, has increased in size and scope since its inauguration in 2008. The program will award U.S. $144,000 in support for recipients of the 2010-2012 fellowship.

“The quality of the researchers currently pursuing studies under the auspices of the fellowship program is exceptional,” said Henry N. Wagner, M.D., professor emeritus of medicine and radiology at John Hopkins University and co-founder of the fellowship program. “The current fellows have made significant progress—we are certain that they will go very far with their contributions to the field and practice of medicine in the U.S. and Japan.”

This unique two-year fellowship, sponsored by Nihon Medi-Physics Co., Ltd., Japan, is designed to provide experience and training for young Japanese physician researchers in the fields of cardiology, neurology and oncology. The program is designed to facilitate professional development and advance the research and clinical expertise of practicing physicians. The fellowship fosters contributions toward nuclear medicine and molecular imaging through investments in training Japanese researchers in the U.S.

“We are delighted by the high caliber of the current fellows—and expect more outstanding applications for the next fellowship year,” said Kanji Torizuka, M.D., Ph.D., professor emeritus at Kyoto University and Fukui Medical University, Japan, and co-founder of the Wagner-Torizuka Fellowship. “We have already seen success with the research being conducted by the fellows to date and continue to receive positive reports from their mentors.”

2009-2010 fellows, each receiving an annual stipend of U.S. $24,000, are:

• Masanao Naya, M.D., Ph.D., Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan, whose research interests focus on cardiology, is conducting research at Bringham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (advisor, Marcelo F. Di Carli, M.D.);
• Masaya Kawano, M.D., Ph.D., Kanazawa Cardiovascular Hospital, Kanazawa, Japan, whose fields of interest include oncology, cardiology and radionuclide therapy, is studying at New York Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medical Center, Division of Nuclear Medicine (advisor, Stanley J. Goldsmith, M.D.);
• Akiko Suzuki, M.D., Ph.D., Yokohama City University Hospital, Yokohama-shi, Japan, whose major field of interest is molecular imaging, is working at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Division of Cellular and Gene Therapy Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (advisor, Raj Puri, M.D., Ph.D.);
• Minako Uchino, M.D., Ph.D., Saitama International Medical Center, Hidaka, Japan, whose fields of interest include prostate cancer and brachytherapy, is pursuing a fellowship at the Princess Margaret Hospital, Department of Radiation Oncology (advisor, Pamela Catton, M.D., Ph.D.).

Applications and further information about requirements for the 2010-2012 SNM Wagner-Torizuka Fellowship are available online at www.snm.org/grants. Applications are due January 31, 2010. Questions about the application process should be directed to Nicole Mitchell, SNM program manager, at nmitchell@snm.org or (703) 652-6795.

Members of the press should contact Amy Shaw, associate director, public relations, at ashaw@snm.org or (703) 652-6773.

About SNM: Advancing Molecular Imaging and Therapy
SNM is an international scientific and medical organization dedicated to raising public awareness about what molecular imaging is and how it can help provide patients with the best health care possible. SNM members specialize in molecular imaging, a vital element of today’s medical practice that adds an additional dimension to diagnosis, changing the way common and devastating diseases are understood and treated.

SNM’s more than 17,000 members set the standard for molecular imaging and nuclear medicine practice by creating guidelines, sharing information through journals and meetings and leading advocacy on key issues that affect molecular imaging and therapy research and practice. For more information, visit www.snm.org.