Samuel Achilefu

Samuel Achilefu, Ph.D., an expert in molecular imaging and its application in treating human diseases, became the inaugural Chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering in February 2022. Dr. Achilefu joined UT Southwestern from the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, where he was the Michel M. Ter-Pogossian Professor of Radiology and Professor of Medicine, Biomedical Engineering, and Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics. He served as Director of the Center for Multiple Myeloma Nanotherapy, Center for Molecular Imaging, and Optical Radiology Lab. Dr. Achilefu pioneered the design and use of innovative fluorescent materials and systems for cancer imaging. His seminal work resulted in the clinical translation of a method to identify and treat most cancer types, especially breast tumors. He also developed a wearable cancer-imaging goggle system that highlights cancer cells, providing real-time guidance to surgeons in the operating room to ensure the complete removal of cancerous tissue. His work has earned national and international recognition, including the Distinguished Investigator Award from the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program, the Academy for Radiology & Biomedical Imaging Research, and the Britton Chance Biomedical Optics Award from the International Society for Optics and Photonics Engineers-SPIE. A fellow of eight professional societies, he was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2021. He earned a doctorate in chemistry and materials science from the University of Nancy in France and completed postdoctoral training in oxygen transport in biological systems and hematological science at Oxford University in the United Kingdom.