Emory University School of Medicine

The research interests of the lab encompass PET and SPECT radiotracer development of oncology, brain and heart agents. This emphasis includes the design and evaluation of peripheral benzodiazepine receptor ligands for imaging peripheral vascular disease and mapping of intracranial tumors, carbohydrates for in vivo study of regional glucose metabolism in cancer, alicyclic and branched chain amino acids for in vivo  mapping of intracranial and systemic tumors, radiolabeled fatty acids for in vivo study of regional fatty acid metabolism in heart disorders, cocaine analogs for in vivo study of the dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine reuptake sites in neurodegenerative disease, psychiatric and addictive disorders, heterocyclic  analogs for in vivo mapping of CRF1 receptors in psychiatric disorders, and heteroaromatics for imaging amyloid in Alzheimer's disease.
 
In addition to radiotracer development, other research interests include applied research involving the development of automated devices to facilitate the use of new radiotracers in clinical medicine. Research has resulted in the translation of the first reported synthetic amino alicyclic acid radiolabled with the PET radioelement fluorine-18 for imaging both intracranial tumors and prostate cancer in patients..

                                                      - Mark Goodman, PhD
                                                        Endowed Chair in Imaging Sciences
                                                        Director, Radiopharmaceutical Discovery