Radiology professor Sanjiv Gambhir will be the new chair of the School of Medicine’s department of radiology.

Gambhir, an expert in molecular imaging, was trained in physics, applied mathematics, cell and molecular biology, medicine, nuclear medicine and molecular imaging. His current research focuses on finding ways to identify and manipulate molecules to study processes such as cancer and cardiovascular disease in the body.

Prior to coming to Stanford in 2003, Gambhir spent 20 years at UCLA, where he served as the director of the Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging and vice chair of the department of molecular and medical pharmacology. Today, he heads the Division of Nuclear Medicine and director of the Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford. He also heads the Center of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence.

As chair, Gambhir plans to facilitate more collaborative projects and establish ties with SLAC and several other Stanford departments. He will begin this position on Sept. 1.

— Ivy Nguyen