Julie Sutcliffe’s research involves the design, synthesis and in vivo evaluation of targeted molecular imaging agents with a focus on positron emission tomography (PET). Her group has developed rapid radiolabeling technologies using both solid-phase and solution-phase chemistries to incorporate the short half-life PET radionuclide fluorine-18 into peptides. Peptide based radiopharmaceuticals are gaining extensive attention as targeted molecular imaging agents.

It is therefore important that technologies are developed that allow these agents to be synthesized rapidly and screened both in vitro and in vivo to assess their efficacy. Dr. Sutfcliffe has a Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry from King’s College London.