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Department Introduction

Nuclear medicine is a fast growing and dynamic branch of medical science where radionuclides are used for diagnosis and treatment of human diseases. The procedures which employ open radionuclide sources have become an important tool in medical sciences for diagnosis, therapy and clinical research. The unique ability of imaging and therapy is based on the cellular function and physiology rather than relying on the anatomy. Recently advent of PET/CT and SPECT/CT has given a further boost to wide-spread use of this technology. Single photon emission tomography (SPECT) permits 3D reconstruction of data, increasing the sensitivity and anatomical localization of lesions in the skeleton, brain and heart. Advances in molecular biology have made a dramatic impact on the practice of medicine. This has led to the birth of “Molecular Nuclear Medicine”. Studies with receptor based radiopharmaceuticals provide insight into the biochemical processes of proteins as they carry out instructions from genetic coding. These studies are possible with the help of positron emission tomography (PET). Radionuclides are also used for therapy of malignant and non-malignant conditions. A lot of progress has taken place over the past few years in therapeutic nuclear medicine. With the use of suitable radiopharmaceuticals targeted therapy is also possible. To-day radiopharmaceutical therapy is the fastest growing branch of nuclear medicine. 

The Department of Nuclear Medicine at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh was created as an independent department in the year 1989. Prior to this, the department existed as a radioisotope laboratory under the control of Department of Biophysics. Dr. IS Anand was the first acting head of the department from 1989-1991. Thereafter, Prof. BK Sharma, Prof. SD Deodhar and Prof. SK Jindal acted as HODs from 1991-1992, 1992-1998 and 1998-2006 respectively. Dr. BR Mittal was the first regular faculty member to join the Department in 1995 and he took over as head of the Department from February, 2006. First single headed gamma camera was installed in 1989. Presently the Department is equipped with three state of the art gamma cameras (1-Single Headed SPECT, 1-Dual Headed SPECT, 1-Dual Headed SPECT/CT) and has recently acquired PET/CT (Discovery STE-16) with an in-house cyclotron (PET Trace 16.5 MeV) facility. Sh. Ghulam Nabi Azad, Hon’ble Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare Inaugurated the PET and Cyclotron Facility at PGIMER, Chandigarh on 27th August, 2009. The department is in the process of establishing the Pre-Clinical Molecular SPECT and PET facility for animal imaging which will help in drug development and strengthen the basic research component through in vivo molecular imaging in the Institute. The department of Nuclear Medicine is committed to excellence in patient care, teaching, and research so as to ensure delivery of high quality nuclear medicine services in a compassionate, patient focused atmosphere. 

PET-CT Inaugurated by Sh. Ghulam Nabi Azad, Hon’ble Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare

Contact Us  

Department Of Nuclear Medicine,

Ground Floor, A-Block, Nehru Hospital

Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research,

Sector-12, Chandigarh – 160 012 (INDIA)

Tel:  0172-275 6721, 275 6730 (PET Centre)

Fax: 0172–274 2858, 274 4401