The Department of Molecular Imaging (the 'Department'), includes PET-CT and general Nuclear Medicine and provides functional imaging using radiopharmaceuticals (or tracers).

A hallmark of the Department has been its translation of a research tool (PET) to an indispensable imaging modality for medical and surgical specialties. The introduction of PET heralded strong collaborations with surgical oncologists - cardiothoracic, neurosurgical, upper gastrointestinal, colorectal, melanoma and orthopaedic surgeons - which pioneered the way that cancer was managed within Australia and internationally. The PET radiochemistry facilities have now enabled the production of new PET radiopharamceuticals for cancer and diseases of the nervous system, in particular, the neurodegenerative disorders including the dementias. These tracers are being translated into clinical care on a daily basis.

The Department has a strong track record for performing high quality basic science, animal, clinical and translational research, which is reflected in its continued success in achieving funding from peak granting bodies including the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), Australian Research Council (ARC), and Cancer Institute of NSW. Staff have published in leading medical, medical imaging and biomedical informatics journals as well as presenting research data at national and international meetings. The Department is also actively involved in teaching and academic supervision of medical professionals, university students, postdoctoral fellows and it also conducts visits for high school students from all over NSW.

The major workload of the Department is in PET-CT and there is high-end infrastructure including a 128-slice PET-CT scanner with time-of-flight (TOF) / high definition reconstruction and continuous bed motion (Biograph Vision Edge) and a Total Body PET-CT scanner (Biograph Vision Quadra). The Biograph Vision Edge was installed in 2019 and was the 1st in Australia and the Southern Hemisphere. The Biograph Quadra was installed in 2021 and was the 1st in Australia and the second of its kind installed in the world.

The Department's scanners have been validated for numerous national and international clinical trials, where the Department has also acted as a 'Core PET Lab'. Since January 2018, the Department has maintained internationally recognised validation of its PET-CT scanners by the Society for Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) as part of their Clinical Trials Network PET-CT Scanner Validation Program. In 2019, the PET 'hot lab' was redesigned and upgraded to accommodate multiple PET radiophamaceuticals and an automated dispensing system. In 2021, renovation work commenced in PET - improving the workflow and patient experience. This work will continue in 2023 and beyond in addition to the planned expansion as part of the RPA Redevelopment. Work is also ongoing to expand and improve the existing PET radiochemistry, production, and QC laboratories. This work is expected to be completed in 2024, which will be the cyclotron's 21st year of routine operation. General Nuclear Medicine has a SPECT-CT scanner and 2 ECAMS and also provides radionuclide therapy, so called 'theranostics' which is beginning to have an increasing role in cancer.

The Department has successful research collaborations with individuals and groups at leading academic and research institutes including: University of Sydney, University of New South Wales, University of Wollongong, Macquarie University, Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA), Sendai University in Japan, and a number of Universities in China.