Reston, VA -- The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) welcomed nearly 8,000 attendees to its 2026 Annual Meeting in Los Angeles this week, with overall participation expected to reach well over 8,000 as virtual access continues through September. With a robust scientific program and strong exhibitor participation, the meeting highlighted the continued advancement of the field while reinforcing its theme, Science is the Star.
"The Annual Meeting is where the impact of our field s shared work is most visible," said Heather Jacene, MD, newly elected SNMMI president. "It is a place where leading science is presented, continuing education strengthens practice, and meaningful conversations inspire collaborations that propel the field forward. Those connections can make a real difference for the patients and families we serve."
More than 130 continuing education and scientific sessions explored key advances in precision nuclear medicine, including theranostics, AI, quantitative imaging, and radiopharmaceutical scalability. The Annual Meeting Science Pavilion featured nearly 1,000 posters, and the exhibit hall included nearly 250 industry-leading companies and organizations -- the largest in the meeting's history. Nearly 1,500 abstracts were submitted for the meeting; a 25 percent increase from last year s meeting and the highest-level of submissions since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
The meeting offered new educational sessions alongside engaging opportunities for networking and collaboration.
- The Technologist Section launched a new hands-on, therapy-focused theranostics certificate program to bolster technologists credentials and equip them with the skills needed to administer theranostic treatments, increasing patient access to nuclear medicine.
- A new Regulatory Boot Camp session provided attendees with the regulatory knowledge needed to navigate clinical trial phases 1 3 and move innovations from the lab to clinical use.
- The Eye on U stage featured speakers sharing personal stories of overcoming challenges to transform their lives and careers in nuclear medicine.
SNMMI was also pleased to welcome the United Kingdom as the 2026 Highlight Country.
In addition to the election of Jacene as SNMMI president, the 2026-27 leadership team was installed during the meeting. Gary Ulaner, MD, PhD, was named as president-elect and, Jason S. Lewis, PhD, FSNMMI, as vice president-elect. SNMMI Technologist Section officers for 2026-27 are Shannon Youngblood, EdD, MSRS, CNMT, RT(CT), as president and Sara L. Johnson, CNMT, RT(N)(CT), as president-elect.
SNMMI presented numerous awards at the meeting. Irène Buvat, PhD, received the George Charles de Hevesy Nuclear Pioneer Award and Richard E. Carson, PhD, received the Paul C. Aebersold Award for Outstanding Achievement in Basic Nuclear Medicine Science. Seven new SNMMI Fellows and two new SNMMI-TS Fellows were also recognized during the meeting.
The SNMMI Image of the Year -- a collection of images showcasing the visualization of blood clots in the legs and in the lungs -- was announced during the Monday plenary; the image was created by Sangwon Han, MD, PhD, and colleagues for their abstract "Diagnostic Performance of 18F-GP1 PET/CT for Acute Deep Vein Thrombosis of the Lower Extremities in Symptomatic Patients: A Phase 2, Open-Label, Non-Randomized Study." The Abstract of the Year was awarded to Amanda Rose Nguyen, DO, MS, and colleagues for their study "Relationship between Prospective Assessment of Regional Cerebral Metabolism and Subsequent Response to Amyloid-Directed Therapy for Cognitive Decline.
"At the Sunday plenary, Henry N. Wagner, Jr., MD, Lectureship speaker Vasken Dilsizian, MD, FSNMMI, MASNC, FACC, FAHA, professor of radiology and medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, delivered his lecture "Nuclear Cardiac Imaging: From Legacy to Innovation." At Monday s plenary, Benedict Cassen Lectureship speaker Martin G. Pomper, MD, PhD, professor and chair of radiology at UT Southwestern Medical Center shared insights into the origin and outlook of PSMA imaging. To conclude the meeting, speakers at the Henry N. Wagner, Jr. Highlights Symposium presented the scientific highlights of the Annual Meeting in the context of modern molecular medicine.
SNMMI's 2027 Annual Meeting will take place June 5-8, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC. For more information about the Annual Meeting, visit www.snmmi.org/am.
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About the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) is an international scientific and medical organization dedicated to advancing nuclear medicine, molecular imaging, and theranostics -- precision medicine that allows diagnosis and treatment to be tailored to individual patients in order to achieve the best possible outcomes. For more information, visit snmmi.org.