Three Cities, One Vision for Nuclear Medicine 

The past few weeks have been an extraordinary reminder of how vibrant, innovative and collaborative our nuclear medicine community truly is. From the global stage in Los Angeles, to celebrating investment in UK radiopharmaceutical production in Oxford, and finally to inspiring scientific discussions in Innsbruck, it has been a privilege to represent the British Nuclear Medicine Society and to witness our specialty continuing to evolve.

SNMMI 2026 – Final reflections

The Opening Ceremony of the SNMMI Annual Meeting in Los Angeles was undoubtedly one of the defining moments of my presidential year. It was a tremendous honour to represent the United Kingdom as the SNMMI Highlight Country in front of an audience of approximately 2,500 delegates from across the world.

The ceremony, hosted by Professor Simon Cherry, was both inspiring and memorable. Standing on stage to speak on behalf of British nuclear medicine, sharing our history, achievements and vision for the future, is a moment I will treasure for the rest of my career. It was made even more special by the fact that it coincided with my birthday, making it an unforgettable personal and professional milestone. I cannot imagine a more meaningful way to celebrate than representing the BNMS and the UK on one of the world’s largest nuclear medicine stage.

The evening perfectly combined science with celebration. Live music, including a superb tribute performance featuring iconic British songs and Coldplay’s A Sky Full of Stars, beautifully reflected the SNMMI theme that “Science is the Star.” The stunning stage and hall decorations, illuminated in shades of purple, blue and silver, created a magical atmosphere that perfectly complemented the occasion. Together, they captured the optimism, collaboration and shared vision that define our global nuclear medicine community.

Receiving an SNMMI Award during the Opening Ceremony was a particular personal honour. The ceremony also celebrated excellence across our profession, while the traditional bagpipers, Irish dancers and King’s Guards added a magnificent ceremonial touch, making the evening both inspirational and uniquely memorable.

Our UK booth looked fantastic throughout the congress and became a wonderful meeting point for colleagues and friends from around the world. It generated enormous interest and highlighted British nuclear medicine with real pride. Even the food became a talking point! While the Los Angeles interpretation of Yorkshire puddings resembled dumplings more than Yorkshire puddings, the fish and chips proved a tremendous success and attracted many enthusiastic compliments. It was a reminder that sharing culture, alongside science, helps bring our international community together.

Our BNMS Continuing Education programme was another highlight. The sessions covered oncology and beyond, also including neuroimaging and The UK Next Generation PET Imaging National Platform. The lively discussions and outstanding feedback demonstrated the UK’s continued leadership in education, innovation and collaborative research.

Acknowledgements

A very special thank you goes to our outstanding UK delegation for representing British nuclear medicine with such distinction, whether as speakers, moderators, organisers or supporters at the UK booth. 

I would like to acknowledge, in no particular order, Professor Simon Cherry, Dr Amy Eccles, Ms Jilly Croasdale, Professor John Buscombe, Dr Gopinath Gnanasegaran, Mr Giorgio Testanera, Professor Gary Cook, Dr Stefan Vöö, Professor John Dickson, Ms Kate Houghton, Dr William C. Drewe, Dr Randeep Kulshrestha, Ms Lisa Wilshire, Mr Benjamin Becarevic, Mr Jack Lloyd-Weston and Dr Chen Low. Their expertise, enthusiasm and generosity played an invaluable role in making the United Kingdom’s participation as the SNMMI Highlight Country such a success.

Once again, I would also like to express my sincere gratitude our collaborator Catapult Medicines Discovery, and our industry partners Curium, InHealth and Xiel, and to everyone who helped showcase the strength and innovation of UK nuclear medicine on the international stage. Special thanks go to Ms Gill Coughlan from Siemens Healthineers for her exceptional support throughout the meeting in Los Angeles.

Finally, congratulations to Dr Randeep Kulshrestha and his team on presenting several outstanding scientific papers at the SNMMI Annual Meeting. In particular, their work, The Role of Quantitative SPECT/CT in Unilateral Condylar Hyperplasia, received special recognition by being featured in the prestigious Henry N. Wagner Jr. Lecture Highlights, an outstanding achievement and a testament to the high quality of UK research at this year’s meeting.

The publication of the Royal College of Radiologists Workforce Census on 18 June highlighted once again the significant workforce challenges facing both radiology and nuclear medicine services across the UK.

During the RCR Summer Reception, I had the opportunity to discuss the findings with RCR President, Dr Stephen Harden. The report reinforces what many of us experience daily: increasing demand for imaging and oncology services, persistent workforce shortages, and the urgent need to expand training opportunities and retain our highly skilled workforce. These remain key strategic priorities for BNMS as we continue to advocate for our specialty.

Only a few weeks later, I had the privilege of representing the BNMS once again at the official opening of Curium’s first UK cyclotron facility at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford.

Participating in the ribbon-cutting ceremony and addressing colleagues from industry, academia and the NHS marked another significant milestone for our specialty. This investment represents far more than a new building; it strengthens the resilience of the UK’s radiopharmaceutical supply chain, supports equitable patient access to advanced diagnostics and therapies, and provides the infrastructure needed for the continued expansion of molecular imaging and theranostics.

Oxford could hardly be a more fitting location for such an investment, given its remarkable scientific heritage and longstanding tradition of medical innovation. Ultimately, however, the true significance of the facility lies not in the cyclotron itself but in the patients whose care will benefit from faster access to life-changing diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals.

My final stop this month was the Tyrolean Congress in Innsbruck, organised by Professor Irene Virgolini, which once again demonstrated the value of bringing together colleagues from across Europe to exchange ideas and experiences.

As always, one of the greatest pleasures was reconnecting with friends and collaborators from many countries. Scientific meetings are not only about presentations; they are equally about strengthening the relationships that underpin future collaboration.

I was delighted to deliver an invited lecture presenting our work on multi-tracer imaging of parkinsonism. The quality of the scientific programme was exceptional, reflecting the remarkable pace at which our field continues to evolve.

Among many outstanding presentations, Professor Markus Hacker’s lecture on PET-CT screening was particularly thought-provoking. Rather than focusing solely on cancer screening and detection, he challenged us to consider the broader potential of total-body PET imaging in screening and identifying cardiovascular disease, inflammatory disorders and other important pathologies. Equally fascinating was an idea of exploring organ connectivity and functional networks in health and disease, demonstrating how modern molecular imaging is beginning to reveal entirely new biological insights. Together, these discussions illustrated how rapidly our specialty is expanding beyond its traditional boundaries.

Finally, my warmest congratulations go to our very own Professor John Buscombe on being awarded an MBE.

An MBE recognises outstanding service and significant contributions to society, and I cannot think of anyone more deserving of this honour. John’s lifelong dedication to nuclear medicine, education, research and patient care has inspired generations of professionals, both in the UK and internationally.

On behalf of everyone at BNMS, congratulations, John, on this thoroughly well-deserved recognition. We are enormously proud of you!

Whether representing British nuclear medicine on the international stage, celebrating major investment in UK radiopharmaceutical production, or exploring the future of molecular imaging and molecular radiotherapy, the past few weeks have reinforced how fortunate we are to work in such an innovative and forward-looking specialty.

My sincere thanks go to everyone who contributed to making these events so memorable and successful.

During the summer, I hope to spend some time enjoying London’s wonderful exhibitions and vibrant concert scene. One event that particularly caught my eye is the Latin jazz piano concert by Dan Costa Trio on 12 July. Daniel Costa is a British-Italian-Portuguese jazz and world music pianist and composer, renowned for his original compositions and collaborations with many internationally acclaimed artists. Life has a remarkable way of coming full circle. Professor Durval Costa was my first mentor when I arrived in the UK to undertake my MSc in Nuclear Medicine. It is therefore especially meaningful to have the opportunity to see his exceptionally talented son, Dan Costa, performing in both the UK and Ireland. 

If you enjoy outstanding live music, I would be delighted if you joined me in London on 12 July. You can find the full concert programme on Dan Costa’s official website⁠.

And finally, what a remarkable celebratory year this has been. On 19 July, the British Nuclear Medicine Society officially celebrates its 60th Birthday! It is a privilege to serve as President during such a historic year.

I look forward to seeing many of you again over the coming weeks.

Prof Sabina Dizdarevic
BNMS President