Erlangen 2026 – wissenschaftliches Programm

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ST: Fachverband Strahlen- und Medizinphysik

ST 4: DPG meets DGMP: Dosimetry in Nuclear Medicine

ST 4.1: Hauptvortrag

Mittwoch, 18. März 2026, 16:15–16:45, KH 01.013

Introduction to modern nuclear medicine: almost one century of interdisciplinary innovations — •Stephan Nekolla — TUM Klinikum, München, Germany

Nuclear medicine began in the 1940s with the clinical use of radioisotopes for diagnosis and therapy, evolving through gamma cameras and SPECT to PET. Early progress depended on advances in radiochemistry, detector physics, and instrumentation, which translated laboratory approaches into clinical applications. Nuclear medicine is inherently interdisciplinary: physicists are involved in tasks ranging from design detectors to reconstruction algorithms; radiochemists synthesize tracers; biologists identify molecular targets; and clinicians apply findings to patients. Current advances include digital PET and SPECT with improved detector materials, and integrated theranostic approaches that combine imaging with targeted therapy. Especially the latter resulted in an unprecedented interest and investments of the pharmaceutical industry. Where is this going to ? The emphasis is most likely a precision nuclear medicine with personalized radiopharmaceuticals, AI-enhanced image reconstruction and interpretation, and harmonized hybrid modalities that integrate molecular imaging with other data. Nuclear medicine's trajectory is defined by the open dialogue between interdisciplinary partners: in this particular context, physics supplies tools, models, and quantification; medicine supplies biological context and clinical questions. Sustained progress will require an open mindset, collaborative research infrastructures , cross-disciplinary training, and predictable regulatory pathways.

Keywords: Nuclear medicine; Theranostics