About

Lisa J. States, MD, is a Professor of Clinical Radiology and an Attending Radiologist at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Department of Radiology. She also holds active medical staff positions at Pennsylvania Hospital in the Department of Radiology. Dr. States is the Director of the Section of Oncologic Imaging at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and holds an endowed chair for Molecular Imaging there. Her educational background includes a BA in Human Biology from Stanford University and an MD from Weill Cornell Medical College. Her research expertise centers on the interpretation of 18 FDOPA PET/CT for localizing focal lesions of congenital hyperinsulinism. She is the sponsor and principal investigator for protocols involving expanded access 18F-DOPA PET/CT and has contributed to protocols for neuroblastoma and paraganglioma therapy, thyroid gland screening in childhood cancer survivors, and PET/MRI protocol optimization. Dr. States' clinical expertise encompasses pediatric oncology, pediatric nuclear medicine, and molecular imaging, with specific focus on pediatric PET/CT scans, congenital hyperinsulinism imaging, musculoskeletal MRI, and Lu-177 therapy protocols. Her work includes evaluating treatment responses in pediatric cancers and advancing imaging techniques for pediatric patients.

Research topics

• Political Science
• Business
• Engineering ethics
• Medicine
• Medical education
• Engineering

Selected publications

• Double Trouble: When Focal and Diffuse Hyperinsulinism Occur Simultaneously

  Hormone Research in Paediatrics · 2026-03-08

  articleOpen access

  INTRODUCTION: Congenital hyperinsulinism (HI) may be diazoxide-responsive or diazoxide-unresponsive. Patients with diazoxide-unresponsive HI are further classified based on having the diffuse or focal form of the disease, with different management strategies associated with each form. While patients with HI typically have only one form of the disease, here we report 3 patients who had both focal and diffuse HI. CASE PRESENTATION: Three patients with diazoxide-unresponsive HI were transferred to our hospital for further management. All 3 patients had genetic testing which was equivocal or initially negative. Given their diazoxide status and not wanting to miss a focal lesion that was amenable to a surgical cure, all 3 patients underwent imaging with 18 F-L 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine positron emission tomography which identified focal pancreatic lesions in all 3 patients. They all had surgical resection of the lesions. Biopsies of the pancreas outside of the lesions noted rare or scattered islet cell nucleomegaly, indicative of diffuse disease, and subsequent fasting studies to determine if patients were cured revealed ongoing HI. Further review of genetic results suggested a mechanism for both focal and diffuse HI occurring in each of the patients. For all 3 patients, their ongoing HI could be managed with diazoxide following removal of the focal lesion. CONCLUSION: Focal and diffuse HI can occur in the same patient. Following resection of focal pancreatic lesions, the patients require careful evaluations for evidence of ongoing HI, and depending on the genetic results, diazoxide may be a management option for ongoing HI in a subset of these patients.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Evaluation of Congenital Hyperinsulinism Using 18F-FDOPA PET

  PET Clinics · 2026-01-14

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Pediatric PET/MRI: Imaging Techniques, Indications, and Clinical Implementation

  Radiographics · 2025-10-16 · 2 citations

  article

  PET/MRI is a highly versatile and effective imaging modality in pediatric populations that requires dedicated study preparation, optimized imaging protocols, and structured interpretation to reach its full potential.

  PublisherDOI

• Supplementary Table 2 from Rates of Intervention and Cancer Detection on Initial versus Subsequent Whole-body MRI Screening in Li-Fraumeni Syndrome

  2025-11-24

  articleOpen access

  <p>Supplementary Table 2 outlines prior studies of initial WBMRI screening in LFS cohorts both in pediatric and adult patient populations including length of the study, number of patients with findings, and number of cancers detected.</p>

  PublisherDOI

• Summary of the 2024 Update of the North American Guidelines for Pediatric Administered Radiopharmaceutical Activities

  Journal of Nuclear Medicine · 2025-12-04

  articleOpen access

  The North American consensus guidelines for pediatric administered radiopharmaceutical activities (NAGL) were first published in 2011 and subsequently updated in 2014 and 2016 ([1][1]–[3][2]). The NAGL have been cited in many scientific publications, reviews, and procedure guidelines issued by the

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Correction: Update on Whole-Body MRI Surveillance for Pediatric Cancer Predisposition Syndromes

  Clinical Cancer Research · 2025-10-15

  erratumOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Data from Radiation Concepts and Considerations for Pediatric Cancer Predisposition Syndrome Surveillance: A Report from the 2023 AACR Childhood Cancer Predisposition Workshop

  2025-09-02

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  <div>Abstract<p>Children with cancer predisposition syndromes have an increased risk of developing certain cancers. Surveillance imaging plays an increasingly important role in the management of these children. The approach to imaging must account for several factors, including age of the child, onset and frequency of imaging, whether sedation is needed, and the types of tumors associated with a particular syndrome. Consideration must also be given to the potential risks and benefits associated with a given imaging technique. Whole-body MRI offers many advantages, including a comprehensive examination without ionizing radiation. Other techniques, such as CT, involve low doses of ionizing radiation but may be appropriate depending on the clinical circumstance. This article offers an overview of available imaging techniques along with potential strategies to guide the discussion with patients and families when deciding on the most appropriate surveillance imaging approach.</p></div>

  PublisherDOI

• Safety and dosimetry of [177Lu]Lu-DOTA-TATE in adolescent patients with somatostatin receptor-positive gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumours, or pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas: Primary analysis of the Phase II NETTER-P study

  European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging · 2025-04-08 · 14 citations

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Case Report: The importance of genetic counseling for families with hyperinsulinism

  Frontiers in Pediatrics · 2025-01-17 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  Congenital hyperinsulinism (HI) is the most common cause of persistent hypoglycemia in infancy. Genotype-phenotype correlations directly inform medical care for patients. Understanding the genetic etiology also allows accurate genetic counseling to be provided, illustrated by two families following a diagnosis of HI. A newborn had hypoglycemia at birth and was diagnosed with focal HI due to a paternally inherited recessive ABCC8 variant. Years later the paternal half-sibling was diagnosed with HI. Testing revealed compound heterozygous ABCC8 variants, consistent with diffuse disease. Following testing, the father's partner(s) should have been offered carrier testing. However, the parents were unaware that future children could be at increased risk of HI. The second family's son was diagnosed with HI in infancy and genetic testing identified a heterozygous recessive ABCC8 variant. Parental testing revealed both parents carried this variant. Focal HI was subsequently confirmed. This family's 1/4 chance to have a child with diffuse HI was significantly higher than the 1/540 chance their child could have focal HI. Understanding the etiology of a patient's HI not only allows for appropriate medical management but has important reproductive implications for the family. Genetic counseling is an important component of the multidisciplinary care received by every family with HI.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Update on Surveillance in Von Hippel–Lindau Disease

  Clinical Cancer Research · 2025-04-15 · 8 citations

  reviewOpen access

  Von Hippel-Lindau disease (VHL) is a genetic condition characterized by a high lifetime risk for tumors and cysts throughout the body, including the central nervous system, visual-auditory systems, and intra-abdominal organs. This neoplasia leads to significant morbidity and potential mortality in affected individuals. Tumor surveillance enables early intervention and leads to improved clinical outcomes. Since the 2017 publication of VHL tumor surveillance recommendations from the inaugural American Association for Cancer Research Childhood Cancer Predisposition Workshop, several other groups have proposed alternative consensus surveillance recommendations. Although these screening paradigms share some common elements, they also deviate from each other in some substantial ways. Clinical data continue to accrue in VHL, allowing the condition to be better characterized. Furthermore, surgical techniques have improved over time, and the option of targeted medical therapy has emerged for individuals with VHL. It is critical that surveillance strategies continue to be refined. In this perspective, we provide an up-to-date clinical overview of VHL, describe recently proposed tumor screening regimens, and finally present our updated consensus tumor surveillance recommendations during childhood and adolescence from the 2023 American Association for Cancer Research Childhood Cancer Predisposition Workshop.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Hongming Zhuang

  Philadelphia University

  40 shared

• Rochelle Bagatell

  Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

  31 shared

• Tricia R. Bhatti

  30 shared

• Diva D. De León

  Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

  30 shared

• N. Scott Adzick

  University of Pennsylvania

  29 shared

• Arlene Naranjo

  27 shared

• Sabine Sarnacki

  Université Paris Cité

  25 shared

• Karen Lyons

  British Columbia Children's Hospital

  25 shared

Education

• Radiology Resident, Radiology

  Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Yeshiva University

  1994

• M.D.

  Weill Cornell Medical College

  1989

• A.B., Human Biology

  Stanford University

  1985