“Visualizing T cell Responses to Improve Cancer Immunotherapy Monitoring with PET”

Hosted by the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology (MIR) 

Dr. Israt Alam is a Senior Scientist in the Radiology Department within the Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford University (MIPS). She received her MSci in Biochemistry at Imperial College London, and specialized in Molecular Imaging during her PhD at the University of Cambridge. Her research has focused on the use of optical, nuclear and multimodal imaging technologies, to detect cell death, alterations in cellular metabolism and immune activation in vivo, for early detection and improved monitoring of therapy response in cancer. Dr. Alam holds multiple patents and her work has enabled the clinical translation of four nuclear imaging agents that are being evaluated in clinical oncology imaging trials at Stanford and around the world. While completing her postdoctoral training in the lab of Prof. Sanjiv Sam Gambhir, she studied mechanisms of lymphocyte activation, identifying novel biomarkers for which she developed complimentary positron emission tomography (PET) tracers, that enable monitoring of immune dynamics in response to cancer immunotherapy and allow early diagnosis of immunopathology. She is now working towards the clinical translation of several first-in-class immune imaging agents.

Dr. Alam co-chairs the “Imaging in cell and immune therapies” (ICIT) interest group for the World Molecular Imaging Society (WMIS). Grateful for her own journey thus far, she cares deeply about expanding access to science education and opportunities to those from underserved countries and continues to support global initiatives with this aim.

For inquiries contact Margaret Morton.