Muzzy Family Endowed Fellowship in Molecular Imaging and Therapy

The Hoag Molecular Imaging and Therapy Program offers fellows in-depth clinical exposure in molecular imaging and therapy, involving diagnostic consultation, patient triage, and close collaboration with a multidisciplinary team, while receiving comprehensive support from the Institutional Medical Education department at Hoag.
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Goals and Objectives

Fellows in the Hoag Molecular Imaging and Therapy Program receive comprehensive clinical experience in molecular imaging and therapy, play a significant role in diagnostic consultation and are actively involved in regular triage of patients to ensure that the appropriate study is performed.

Faculty members are firmly committed to extensive elbow-to-elbow education in the reading room and Molecular Imaging and Therapy clinic and work collaboratively with a team of physicians, nurses, nuclear technologists and physicists. The Institutional Medical Education department at Hoag provides administrative, programmatic, and fellow support including onboarding and orientation, assistance with case tracking, and wellness initiatives and activities.

Mastery of Molecular Imaging and Therapy

Mastery of Molecular Imaging and Therapy, including exposure to > 1,500 PET/CT and PET/MR examinations and administration of > 300 radionuclide therapies

Mastery of Clinical Trial Execution

Mastery of clinical trial execution, including the completion, presentation, and publication of a mentored investigation

Eligibility for Certifying Exams

Upon completion of the fellowship, the Fellow will be eligible for both the American Board of Nuclear Medicine and the American Board of Radiology-Nuclear Radiology certifying exams. It is expected the Fellow will far exceed the requirements for these exams.

Obtain Academic or Community Position

Program faculty will advocate for the Fellow and assist with obtaining an academic or community position as a Radiologist and/or Molecular Imaging and Therapy specialist.

With the enormous number of molecular imaging and therapy agents currently in clinical trials, the field of molecular imaging and therapy is surging with opportunities for physicians, nurses, techs and entire hospital systems to be part of transformational health care.

– Gary A. Ulaner, MD, PhD, FACNM, FSNMMI

Fellowship Overview

  • The Fellowship will run from July 1 to June 30. There will be one (1) fellow per year.
  • Fellowship rotations are conducted primarily at the Molecular Imaging and Therapy clinic in Irvine, California with the Radiology Department of Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach, California as a secondary site.
  • Fellows will be expected to work Monday to Friday of each week, typically starting at 7:30-8:30am and leaving by 5:00-6:00pm.
  • There will be no call responsibilities.
  • Fellows participate in a variety of multidisciplinary conferences where input from numerous subspecialties determines the optimal course of therapies for the patient.
  • Moonlighting will not be allowed.
  • Fellows are expected to participate regularly in at least one of the 16 organ specific Tumor Boards at the Hoag Family Cancer Institute.

This one (1) year program will provide a broad clinical experience in all aspects of molecular imaging and therapy, including:

  • FDA-approved PET radiotracers (FDG, 68Ga-Dotatate, 64Cu-Dotatate, Pylarify, Cerianna, Axumin)
  • Investigational PET radiotracers (targeting PSMA, ER, FAP, CD8, CD38, Amyloid, Tau, and others)
  • FDA-approved radionuclide therapies (Pluvicto, Lutathera, Radioiodine)
  • Investigational radionuclide therapies (targeting PSMA, FAP, SSTR, and others, including 225Ac alpha therapies)
  • PET/CT and PET/MR
  • General nuclear medicine
  • Basic principles of radiotracers, radiopharmacy, and radiation safety.

The program director ensures rotation responsibilities do not detract from a fellow’s overall educational experience.  The allocation of fellowship time will be scheduled in advance and in collaboration with the fellow.

  • 40% Clinical service for PET/CT, PET/MR
  • 40% Clinical service in the Molecular Imaging & Therapy clinic
  • 20% Clinical investigation. Each fellow will be mentored on an original research project with the goal of national/international presentation and publication.
  • 3 PET/CT scanners: Biograph 64 Vision 450; Biograph mCT Flow; Biograph Truepoint
  • 1 PET/MR Scanner: Biograph mMR
  • 3 SPECT/CT scanners: all Symbia T
  • 5 additional nuclear cameras
  • Full Molecular Imaging and Therapy clinic with 3 lead lined therapy rooms, radiopharmacy, and office space
  • The Program Director will provide weekly didactics covering FDG PET/CT of all organ systems and specialized lectures covering each targeted imaging and therapy application.
  • The Program Director directs an annual PET/CT and Molecular Imaging and Therapy course that the fellow will attend as a student.
  • The fellow may attend the annual Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) conference and the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) conference. Funds will be provided to cover the Fellows expenses to attend these conferences.
  • If a fellow’s research project is accepted for presentation at a major radiology or molecular imaging meeting, the research fund will cover reasonable expenses and time to attend will be granted after coordination with and approval by the program director.
  • Visiting Professorships: Through the Hoag Foundation Visiting Professorship Fund, nationally acclaimed physicians are brought to Hoag as guest speakers. Fellows are encouraged to attend these lectures.

Current Clinical Trials at the Hoag Molecular Imaging and Therapy clinic include:

  1. Estrogen Receptor (ER)-targeted imaging with 18F-fluoroestradiol
  2. CD38-targeted imaging of myeloma with 89Zr-daratumumab
  3. CD8-targeted immunoPET with 89Zr-crefmirlimab berdoxam
  4. HER2-targeted imaging with 89Zr-pertuzumab
  5. PSMA-targeted therapy with 177Lu-PSMA I&T
  6. SSTR-targeted therapy with 225Ac-Dotatate
  • Applicants must have completed a nuclear medicine or radiology residency and be either board-eligible or board-certified by the American Board of Nuclear Medicine or The American Board of Radiology.
  • Hold an unrestricted California medical license before the beginning of the Fellowship.

Click here to view the requirements for a California medical license: https://www.mbc.ca.gov/Licensing/Physicians-and-Surgeons/

  • Annual salary of $100,000
  • Benefits include medical/vision/dental insurance and 4 weeks of vacation and conference time.

At Hoag, we know that a diverse, inclusive workplace is essential to our guiding mission: to serve our communities by providing health care services of the highest quality.

  • Maintaining a diverse workforce that reflects our communities,
  • Ensuring an inclusive workplace in which employees feel valued, respected, and able to fully contribute toward Hoag’s mission; and,
  • Meeting the needs of our diverse communities.
  • Once all application materials are received, the Graduate Medical Education Committee will review the documents and determine which applicants will be granted an interview.
  • This is based on a combination of the following:
    • Clinical and imaging experience,
    • Research experience, and
    • Recommendation letters.
  • Only a limited number of applicants will be interviewed.
  • Interviews will be scheduled directly with the applicant, and every attempt will be made to find a time convenient for the applicant.
  • Hoag is not able to reimburse applicants for their travel expenses.
  • Once granted, the interview will consist of meeting(s) with numerous faculty members, tours of the rotation locations, and lunch with various members of the team.
  • The interview day typically lasts from 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM. 
  • Following the interviews, the Graduate Medical Education Committee and fellowship faculty will come to a consensus as to who will be chosen.
  • The Muzzy Family Endowed Fellowship in Molecular Imaging and Therapy accepts fellows outside of the national match.
  • Once an offer is made and accepted, the fellow will receive a letter of intent.

Program Faculty

Core Faculty and Program Director: Gary A. Ulaner, MD, PhD, FACNM, FSNMMI

Double Boarded Diagnostic Radiologist and Nuclear Medicine Physician

Gary A. Ulaner, MD, PhD, FACNM, FSNMMI, is the Director of Molecular Imaging and Therapy at Hoag Family Cancer Institute and the James & Pamela Muzzy Endowed Chair of Molecular Imaging and Therapy.

Dr. Ulaner joined Hoag following 10 years as faculty at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Dual board-certified in radiology and nuclear medicine, Dr. Ulaner is a nationally recognized expert in the use of targeted imaging to help direct targeted cancer therapies. He leads several National Institutes of Health (NIH) clinical trials in molecular imaging and therapeutics, including two active NIH R01 grants, and has received more than $8 million in extramural funding. His current active funded research includes estrogen receptor (ER)-targeted imaging and HER2-targeted imaging for patients with breast cancer, multiple prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeted agents for imaging and treatment of prostate cancer, somatostatin receptor (SSTR)-targeted alpha therapy of neuroendocrine tumors, and CD38-targeted imaging for myeloma.

Dr. Ulaner has received multiple honors throughout his career. He was elected Fellow of the American College of Nuclear Medicine (ACNM) and the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI), has given Grand Rounds lectures nationally and internationally, was named an Orange County “Healthcare Visionary”, and received multiple teaching and mentoring awards from Memorial Sloan Kettering, Cornell, and others.

Dr. Ulaner has authored or co-authored more than 150 peer-reviewed manuscripts, has given more than 200 national and international presentations, and authored the textbook Fundamentals of Oncologic PET/CT, published in both English and Spanish. He organizes and runs an annual 3-day PET/CT and Molecular Imaging CME course. He is also on the editorial boards of 5 leading clinical journals: Radiology, Journal of Nuclear Medicine, European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Clinical Nuclear Medicine, and Theranostics.

Dr. Ulaner completed his medical degree and a Ph.D. in Cancer Biology at Stanford University School of Medicine, an internship at Johns Hopkins Hospital, and his Radiology and Nuclear Medicine residencies at the University of Southern California.

Core Faculty: Peter D. Giuliano, MD

Double Boarded Diagnostic Radiologist and Nuclear Medicine Physician

Peter D. Giuliano, MD, is the  Chair of the Department of Radiology at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian.  He specializes in Nuclear Medicine and Body Imaging.  He is also the vice president of Newport Harbor Radiology and serves as an executive committee member.

Among his many professional activities, he is a member of the Physicians for Social Responsibility, American Medical Student Association, and the American College of Radiology.

Dr. Giuliano completed his medical degree at Loyola Stritch University of Medicine, an internship at Roger Williams Hospital, his Radiology residency at Brown University and his nuclear medicine fellowship at UCLA.   

Core Faculty: Ryan P. Reddy, MD

Physician, Molecular Imaging and Therapy, Hoag Family Cancer Institute

Dr. Reddy is double-boarded in diagnostic radiology and nuclear medicine. He is an expert at complex molecular therapy and an international speaker on Somatostatin Receptor-targeted therapy for patients with neuroendocrine tumors. He completed his fellowship at the Harvard Joint Program in Nuclear Medicine and was junior faculty at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center before being recruited to Hoag. He received his medical degree from Texas A&M University.

 

 

Director of Medical Education

Patty Y. Huang, MD, MPH

Patty Huang, MD, MPH, serves as Medical Director of the Institutional Education Department at Hoag and practices as a hospitalist for Pacific Hospitalist Associates in Newport Beach. Board-certified in internal medicine, she is Immediate Past Chief of Staff at Hoag, having served in the Chief role from 2021-2022. Dr. Huang earned her medical degree from New York University School of Medicine and completed her internship and residency at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. She completed a health services research fellowship at UCLA and the Los Angeles VA Medical Center. Dr. Huang also earned her master’s degree in public health from the University of California, Los Angeles. A member of the American College of Physicians and the Society of Hospital Medicine, Dr. Huang has served in numerous committees and advisory roles since joining Hoag in 2006.

How to Apply

To apply for a fellowship position, please use the application link below and include all required documents when submitting.

Apply Here