Dr. Shuiyu Lu is a Staff Scientist (since June 2002) in the PET Radiopharmaceutical Sciences Section, Molecular Imaging Branch, National Institute of Mental Health. He received his BSc (Organic Chemistry,1983) from Nanjing University, China and PhD (Synthetic Organic Polymer Chemistry, 1991) from the University of Manchester, UK. He spent two years at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, as a postdoctoral fellow. His early research focused on the formation and transformation of macromolecules. He became a Research Fellow at the Department of Chemistry, University of Surrey, UK (1994–2002), where he was at the forefront of developing novel methodologies for the preparation and application of isotopically labeled compounds, both stable and radioactive. Notably, he was leading the efforts to develop microwave-enhanced dueteriation/tritiation procedures, where microwave dielectric heating that transforms electromagnetic energy to heat provides direct access by the energy source to the chemical reaction media, for rapid, highly atom-efficient radiolabeling. At NIMH Dr. Lu’s research is focused on the development of rapid, reliable and safe PET radiolabeling methodologies through the application of new reagents and innovative technologies. He is also engaged in targeted radioligand development.

Dr. Sanjay Telu is a Radiochemist at the Molecular Imaging Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA. He gained his BSc (1997) and MSc (1999) degrees in chemistry from Osmania University (Hyderabad, India). He received his Ph.D. from the University of Akron in 2006 under the supervision of Dr. Gerald F. Koser. His doctoral research was on the application of hypervalent iodine reagents to the activation of C-H bonds in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and thiophenes and on the study of the acidity of cyclic iodonium salts. He worked as a postdoctoral fellow (2007–2008) at the University of Iowa, where he explored methods for the syntheses of hindered polychlorinated biphenyls, fluorinated diaryliodonium salts, and fluorescent probes and conducted NMR-based metabolomic studies. He became a postdoctoral research fellow in PRSS in June 2008, focusing on the development of PET radioligands for TSPO, and oxytocin and vasopressin (V1a) receptors. Dr. Telu also contributed to the development of radiolabeling methods with carbon-11 and fluorine-18. He entered his current position in 2013 where his primary responsibility is in the production of radiotracers for PET studies, while also continuing to contribute to the research efforts of PRSS.

Dr. Fabrice G. Siméon is a Staff Scientist who joined the PET Radiopharmaceutical Sciences Section, Molecular Imaging Branch, National Institute of Mental Health as a Visiting Fellow in March 2003. He received his BSc (Organic Chemistry, 1993) and PhD (Synthetic Organic Chemistry, 1998) from the University of Caen, France. His early research focused on fast methods for the synthesis of organic molecules using either microwave irradiation or organometallic catalytic systems. Before joining the MIB in Bethesda, MD, he spent two years at the Department of Life Sciences of the French Energy Atomic Commission (Cyceron, Caen) as a postdoctoral Chemist Engineer. During this period, he was introduced to PET radiochemistry for imaging brain receptors. One of his first targets was the preparation and labeling with [11C]KCN of a high-affinity ligand to the trypsin plasminogen activator (tPA) which is involved in the processes leading to cerebral ischemia. At NIMH, Dr. Siméon’s major research topic is focused on the development of new ligands and radioligands for imaging the Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor, Subtype 5 (mGluR5) in vivo with PET. He is also engaged in other radioligand developments and some more fundamentally oriented research.

Dr. Lisheng Cai is a staff scientist of the PET Radiopharmaceutical Sciences Section (PRSS), Molecular Imaging Branch (MIB) of the Intramural Research Program, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland. He obtained his BSc in chemistry from Sichuan University in 1985. He obtained his Ph.D. in organometallic chemistry from the University of Chicago in 1992 and did his postdoctoral work at Harvard University until 1995. He was an assistant professor of chemistry at the University of Illinois at Chicago before he joined NIMH in June 2002. He was the recipient of the K. C. Wong Education Foundation Fellowship (1987–1989) and the Bernard Smaller Prize of the University of Chicago (1992). Dr. Cai’s research at the NIMH has focused on the design and synthesis of radiopharmaceutical ligands for PET imaging of neuron degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, and the development of radiolabeling methods for PET tracers. He studies the PET imaging of the lesions involved in neurodegenerative diseases. He is interested in the design and synthesis of ligands that bind selectively and specifically with Abeta-amyloid, alpha-synuclein, and hyper-phosphorylated tau-aggregates, which are believed to be the lesion responsible for those degenerative diseases. He has more than 30 publications and one patent.

Dr. Victor W. Pike graduated in chemistry from the University of Birmingham (UK) in 1972, and gained a Ph.D. degree in organic chemistry from the same University in 1975. After 2 years as a Research Fellow (University of Birmingham/University of London), he gained a scientific appointment at the MRC Cyclotron Unit at Hammersmith Hospital (Imperial College, UK) and became Head of its Chemistry and Engineering Section. In 2001, he joined the new Molecular Imaging Branch of the National Institute of Mental Health (National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA) as its Chief of PET Radiopharmaceutical Sciences, a position that he still holds. Dr. Pike's research interests include medicinal chemistry, radiochemistry methodology and design, synthesis and evaluation of radiotracers, as represented in well over 350 peer-reviewed publications. He has received a number of awards for his research and training, has served on editorial boards of journals in his field, and has held honorary positions at the University of London (Senior Lecturer) and the University of Surrey (UK; Visiting Professor).