A strong commitment to cutting-edge research is central to the mission of the Columbia Kreitchman PET Center. Researchers employ PET and PET/CT to aid with a wide range of neurology, oncology, and cardiology investigations.

Click here to browse research studies currently underway at the Kreitchman PET Center.

Neurology

PET research is instrumental in understanding the changes that various diseases and mood disorders have on the brain. For example, PET can image the serotonin system components to assess the signal it can send to many parts of the brain, and serotonin is a major chemical transmitter that plays a key role in mood and anxiety disorders as well as schizophrenia.

PET also is being used to study ways in which Alzheimer disease affects the brain. Using PET we are able to image a protein related to the cause of the disease and a target of many of the latest treatments for Alzheimer disease. (To learn more about PET for Alzheimer’s disease, please click here.) The new NYSTAR facility will play a vital role in monitoring treatment response using such biomarkers that can also help lead to enhanced diagnosis, better treatment and new drug development that is an improvement over current treatments.
		PET scan of brain with Alzheimer’s disease.

Oncology

By combining information about metabolic activity with anatomical details, PET/CT can offer insights into both cancer progression and the impact of treatment approaches. For example, Richard M. Gewanter, MD, Clinical Instructor of Radiation Oncology at Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons, is conducting a clinical trial to investigate the benefits of PET/CT for targeted, dose-escalated radiation therapy in individuals with unresectable (inoperable), non-small cell lung cancer that has not spread beyond the lungs. Using PET/CT to visualize tumors, Dr. Gewanter hopes to better tailor the radiation field while increasing the dosage level within that field—thereby improving survival rates.

Cardiology

For cardiac patients, PET offers sensitivity and specificity superior to SPECT. It is particularly adept at identifying viable myocardium. Cardiology researchers can employ PET’s sensitivity and specificity for a range of investigations. For example, researchers are using PET to compare blood flow and oxygen use in the hearts and brains of healthy elderly versus younger subjects.

To learn more about ongoing research trials at Columbia Kreitchman PET Center please click here or contact us directly at 212-342-2899 or info@columbiapet.org.