Research Interests:

	We are developing imaging assays to monitor fundamental cellular events in living subjects. Technologies such as micro positron emission tomography (microPET), bioluminescence optical imaging with a charge coupled-device (CCD) camera, fluorescence optical imaging, micro computerized axial tomography (microCAT) are all being actively investigated in small animal models. Our goals are to marry fundamental advances in molecular/cell biology with those in biomedical imaging to advance the field of molecular imaging. We have a particular focus on cancer biology and gene therapy. We have developed several reporter genes/reporter probes compatible with all of the above imaging modalities. These reporter genes are being used in cell trafficking models, gene therapy models, as well as in transgenic models for studying cancer biology. Assays to interrogate cells for mRNA levels, cell surface antigens, protein-protein interactions are also under active development. We are also extending many of these approaches for human clinical applications.

Selected Publications

• M. Iyer, L. Wu, M. Carey, Y. Wang, A. Smallwood, S.S. Gambhir. "Two-Step Transcriptional Amplification as a Method for Imaging Reporter Gene Expression Utilizing Weak Promoters", Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (USA) 98(25), 14595-14600 (2001).
• S. Bhaumik & S.S. Gambhir, "Optical Imaging of Renilla Luciferase Reporter Gene Expression in Living Mice", Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (USA). In-Press.
• X. Sun, A.J. Annala, S. Yaghoubi, J.R. Barrio, K. Nguyen, T. Toyokuni, N. Satyamurthy, M. Namavari, M.E. Phelps, H.R. Herschman, S.S. Gambhir, "Quantitative Imaging of Gene Induction in Living Animals", Gene Therapy 8, 1572-1579 (2001).
• J. Wu, G. Sundaresan, M. Iyer, S.S. Gambhir, "Noninvasive Optical Imaging of Firefly Luciferase Reporter Gene Expression in Skeletal Muscles of Living Mice", Molecular Therapy 4(4), 297-306 (2001).
• Y. Yu, A.J. Annala, J.R. Barrio, T. Toyokuni, N. Satyamurthy, M. Namavari, S.R. Cherry, M.E. Phelps, H.R. Herschman, S.S. Gambhir, "Quantification of Target Gene Expression by Imaging Reporter Gene Expression in Living Animals", Nature Medicine 6(8), 933-937 (2000).

Biography

Dr. Gambhir currently serves as an Associate Professor in the Departments of Molecular & Medical Pharmacology, and Biomathematics. He is also Director of the Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging and a member of the California Nanosystems Institute. He graduated from Arizona State University with a B.S. in Physics and then continued his education at UCLA, with first a Ph.D. in Biomathematics and then completing his M.D. shortly thereafter. Dr. Gambhir has remained at UCLA following his education first as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular & Medical Pharmacology. He also held the position, Director of the Computational & Communication Sciences Division and was the Principle Investigator for the DOE Laboratory of Structural Biology and Molecular Medicine. His most recent research focus is on the imaging approaches to gene therapy, developing imaging assays to monitor fundamental cellular events in living subjects. His accomplishments include over 60 published papers and he has been lauded with awards both nationally and internationally. Within the past few years he has been given first prize by the Scientific Society of Nuclear Medicine for his exhibit on an internet based clinical trials engine for information support of distributed clinical trials and was given a lectureship by the National Academy of Sciences to speak about his work on molecular imaging to the top young scientists in the United States.