About

Abass Alavi, MD, MD(Hon), PhD(Hon), DSc(Hon), is a Professor of Radiology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and an Attending Physician at the same hospital. He also serves as the Associate Director of the Center for the Study of Aging at the University of Pennsylvania. His professional focus is in the field of radiology, with a particular emphasis on nuclear medicine and imaging techniques.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Internal medicine
• Medical physics
• Computer Science
• Pathology
• Dermatology
• Physical medicine and rehabilitation
• Radiology
• Surgery
• Intensive care medicine

Selected publications

• From Feasibility to Durability: The Next Phase of Theranostics

  PET Clinics · 2026-04-01

  articleOpen accessSenior author
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Deep Brain Stimulation for Psychiatric Disorders: A Systematic Review of Molecular Imaging with PET

  World Neurosurgery · 2026-03-30

  articleOpen access

  Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an evolving technique for the treatment of various psychiatric disorders refractory to conventional pharmacotherapy. Neuroimaging with positron emission tomography (PET) has an important role in the planning, delivery, and post-surgical monitoring of DBS. This study aims to determine the clinical relevance of PET as a biomarker of disease status and response to DBS for patients with psychiatric disorders. We performed a systematic review of the PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases to identify original research studies that applied PET to study the effects of DBS for patients with psychiatric conditions (major depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), substance use disorder, anorexia nervosa, and schizophrenia). Information on study design, PET findings, clinical measures, and outcomes were recorded. From an initial search of 149 articles, we identified 27 studies on depression (n=11), OCD (n=8), substance use disorder (n=3), anorexia nervosa (n=3), and schizophrenia (n=1) that met selection criteria for our qualitative analysis. PET imaging with various radiotracers ( 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) for glucose metabolism, 15 O-water for cerebral blood flow, 11 C-raclopride for dopamine transmission) revealed distinct molecular alterations in patients before and after DBS. Changes in PET signal generally correlated with clinical improvements in psychiatric symptom scores. Comparisons of studies that targeted different brain structures for DBS demonstrated unique activation patterns on PET, though the clinical significance of these changes remains unclear. PET provides insight into the effects of DBS on the molecular activity of the brain, which may improve patient selection for surgery, prognostication, and long-term monitoring.

  PublisherDOI

• Novel PET-CT-MR Imaging Based Quantitative Technique for Accurate Assessment of Radiation Induced Injuries

  PET Clinics · 2025-02-05

  reviewSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Transformative Advances in PET Imaging: From FDG to Total Body Scanners, Novel Tracers and AI-Driven Precision Medicine

  Bio-Algorithms and Med-Systems · 2025-07-21 · 3 citations

  articleSenior author

  <ns3:p>&lt;b&gt;Introduction:&lt;/b&gt; Positron emission tomography (PET) has undergone transformative advancements, evolving from a research tool into a cornerstone of precision medicine. &lt;br&gt;&lt;b&gt;Objective:&lt;/b&gt; This review highlights key developments in PET imaging, including the introduction of specialized systems such as brain and breast-dedicated scanners, total-body PET, and hybrid PET/CT and PET/MRI technologies. &lt;br&gt;&lt;b&gt;Methods:&lt;/b&gt; These innovations have significantly enhanced diagnostic accuracy and patient management across oncology, neurology and cardiology. The emergence of novel radiotracers beyond fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) has expanded PET's clinical applications by targeting specific molecular pathways, improving sensitivity and specificity in disease characterization. Notable tracers include those for tumor proliferation, hypoxia and receptor-specific imaging, which facilitate personalized treatment strategies. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionized PET imaging by improving image reconstruction, noise reduction, motion correction and lesion segmentation. AI-driven tools enhance diagnostic precision while reducing scan times and radiation exposure, making PET safer and more efficient. Furthermore, AI accelerates radiotracer development by optimizing molecular design and enabling personalized dosimetry planning for theranostic applications. Total-body PET scanners represent a technological milestone, offering unparalleled sensitivity, reduced radiation doses, faster scans, the ability to track systemic diseases comprehensively and to enhance diagnosis by novel imaging biomarkers. These advancements enable earlier disease detection, precise monitoring of treatment efficacy and deeper insights into disease mechanisms. &lt;br&gt;&lt;b&gt;Results:&lt;/b&gt; Collectively, these innovations underscore PET's transformative role in advancing precision medicine through early diagnosis, disease monitoring and tailored therapeutic interventions. &lt;br&gt;&lt;b&gt;Conclusions:&lt;/b&gt; This review concludes that ongoing technological progress will continue to redefine the capabilities of PET imaging in clinical practice and research.</ns3:p>

  PublisherDOI

• Associations of subclinical microcalcification and inflammation with carotid atheroma development: a dual-tracer PET/CT study

  European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging · 2025-02-13 · 5 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  PURPOSE: Carotid artery atherosclerosis, a significant manifestation of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and leading cause of stroke, develops through a gradual process of arterial inflammation and calcification. This study explores the relationship between arterial inflammation (18 F-FDG PET/CT) and vascular calcification (18 F-NaF PET/CT) in the left and right common carotid arteries (LCC/RCC) and their association with CVD and thromboembolic risk in patients with subclinical atherosclerosis. METHODS: A cohort of 115 subjects (73 healthy volunteers, 42 at-risk for CVD) underwent 18 F-NaF and 18 F-FDG PET/CT imaging. Radiotracer uptake was quantitatively assessed by measuring the average blood-pool-corrected mean standardized uptake value (aSUVmean). RESULTS: Relative to healthy volunteers, at-risk subjects had greater uptake of NaF and FDG (10-22% and 16-27% higher, respectively, in both arteries, p < 0.05). On multivariate regression, NaF aSUVmean correlated with age and BMI (p < 0.01), and FDG aSUVmean correlated with BMI (p ≤ 0.01), fibrinogen (p < 0.01 in LCC only), and total cholesterol (p = 0.02 in RCC only). NaF aSUVmean increased with elevated 10-year CVD risk (p = 0.003 in LCC only), while no significant trend was seen for FDG. NaF and FDG aSUVmean increased with elevated thromboembolic risk in both arteries (p < 0.05). No correlations between NaF and FDG aSUVmean were observed (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: 18 F-NaF PET/CT may serve as a prognostic tool for carotid microcalcification and subclinical atherosclerosis, while the utility of 18 F-FDG PET/CT remains uncertain. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: "Cardiovascular Molecular Calcification Assessed by 18F-NaF PET CT (CAMONA)", NCT01724749, https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT01724749 .

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Current and Developing Applications of PET in Radiation Oncology

  PET Clinics · 2025-02-03 · 1 citations

  editorial
  PublisherDOI

• PET Applications in Radiation Oncology

  PET Clinics · 2025-03-17

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Reproducibility of 18F-Sodium Fluoride Positron Emission Tomography for Assessing Microcalcification in Coronary Arterial and Thoracic Aortic Atherosclerosis: Is the Signal below the Resolution of PET?

  Current Cardiology Reports · 2025-05-14

  reviewOpen accessSenior author

  Abstract Purpose of Review The rising prevalence of atherosclerosis has prompted the development of novel diagnostic methods capable of identifying early-stage disease when therapeutic interventions may be most effective. 18 F-sodium fluoride (NaF) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) is a molecular imaging technique that can quantify subclinical microcalcification in arterial plaque. The focus of this review article is to discuss the utility of 18 F-NaF PET/CT in assessing atherosclerotic disease of major susceptible blood vessels, particularly the coronary arteries and thoracic aorta. Recent Findings 18 F-NaF uptake observed on PET imaging demonstrates promising potential as a marker of atherosclerotic burden in individual coronary arteries, whole heart segmentations, and the thoracic aorta. Global versus focal assessment of 18 F-NaF uptake in small arteries is a significant source of methodological heterogeneity among studies. Summary The accuracy and reproducibility of 18 F-NaF PET/CT may be improved by standardized quantification methods in light of the limited spatial resolution of PET, particularly through the use of techniques to evaluate global atherosclerotic burden.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• LB1133 Apremilast reduces epicardial adipose tissue in psoriasis patients

  Journal of Investigative Dermatology · 2025-07-21

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Optimizing Stereotactic Intracranial Neoplasm Treatment: A Systematic Review of PET Integration with Gamma Knife Radiosurgery

  Diseases · 2025-07-10

  reviewOpen access

  OBJECTIVE: Traditional imaging modalities for the planning of Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS) are non-specific and do not accurately delineate intracranial neoplasms. This study aimed to evaluate the utility of positron emission tomography (PET) for the planning of GKRS for intracranial neoplasms (ICNs) and the post-GKRS applications of PET for patient care. METHODS: PubMed, Scopus, and ScienceDirect were searched in order to assemble relevant studies regarding the uses of PET in conjunction with GKRS for ICN treatment. PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines were followed to identify relevant studies on the use of PET in conjunction with GKRS. Particular emphasis was placed on review articles and medical research investigating tumor delineation and post-operative care. Relevant studies were selected and assessed based on quality measures, including study design, sample size, and significance. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were used to examine the yield of the initial search (n = 105). After a secondary review, the included results were identified (n = 50). RESULTS: This study revealed that PET imaging is highly accurate for the planning of GKRS. In fact, many cases indicate that it is more specific than traditional imaging modalities. PET is also capable of complementing traditional imaging techniques through combination imaging. This showed significant efficacy for the planning of GKRS for ICNs. CONCLUSIONS: While PET shows a multitude of applications for the treatment of ICNs with GKRS, further research is necessary to assemble a complete set of clinical guidelines for treatment specifications. Importantly, future studies need a greater standardization of methods and expanded trials with a multitude of radiotracers.

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• NIH Grant R01DK063579

  NIH · $1.6M · 2008

• NIH Grant T32CA093258

  NIH · $928k · 2008

• NIH Grant R01AR048241

  NIH · $2.2M · 2009

• NIH Grant M01RR000040

  NIH · $7.2M · 2007

Frequent coauthors

• Thomas Werner

  Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania

  359 shared

• Hongming Zhuang

  Philadelphia University

  287 shared

• Poul Flemming Høilund‐Carlsen

  Odense University Hospital

  285 shared

• Drew A. Torigian

  University of Pennsylvania

  226 shared

• Babak Saboury

  National Institutes of Health Clinical Center

  167 shared

• Sandip Basu

  Bhabha Atomic Research Centre

  158 shared

• Mona‐Elisabeth Revheim

  University of Oslo

  155 shared

• William Raynor

  Rutgers Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

  146 shared

Education

• M.D.

  University of Tehran School of Medicine

  1964