Nachwa Jarkas, PhD
Title: Assistant Professor-RT
Division: Radiopharmaceutical Discovery
Focus Area: PET Tracer Discovery
Other Focus: Medicinal Chemistry, Organic Synthesis, and Molecular Imaging
Fellowship: Emory University
Doctorate: University of Metz, France
Masters: License de Mesures et Contrôles en Chimie at the University of Metz, France
University: License de Mesures et Contrôles en Chimie at the University of Metz, France
Other: Predoctorial - DEA de Chimie Physico-chimie Molecularires at the University of Metz, France
Current Organization:
American Chemical Society
Society of Nuclear Medicine
Radiopharmaceutical Sciences Council
Society of Radiopharmaceutical Sciences
Career Sketch: Dr. Jarkas became a member of the Emory faculty, in 2002, after completing her Postdoctoral fellowship in Radiochemistry. She was the first place winner out of seven finalists for the Radiopharmaceutical Sciences Council Young Investigator Award at the Society of Nuclear Medicine Meeting in New Orleans, in June 2003. The research accomplishments of Dr. Jarkas include: (1) the organic synthesis of high affinity ligands for the serotonin transporters (SERT), (2) the incorporation of cyclotron-produced, short-lived positron emitting radioisotopes into the new radiopharmaceuticals prepared, (3) the study of the brain neurochemistry in non-human primates, using these radiolabeled ligands, by PET, and (4) the labeling of one of the SERT ligands (HOMADAM) with carbon-11 for human clinical trials.