Computational, Molecular & Functional Imaging Training Program
The Computational Molecular & Functional Imaging Training (CMFIT) predoctoral program provides trainees with didactic and research training in molecular imaging technology, as it pertains to normal and pathophysiological functions, applied to nuclear medicine (PET and SPECT), MRI, Optical Imaging, Image Processing, and AI. Through innovative personalized pod mentoring, structured courses, and targeted workshops, the program equips graduates to critically assess the field and conduct their own research. The curriculum begins with the fundamentals of molecular imaging and processing techniques, then transitions to focused training in various modalities and domains.
CMFIT participants will benefit from exposure to diverse, multidisciplinary faculty expertise and cutting-edge research. Each trainee will be mentored by faculty from three synergistic pods: an imaging/AI scientist, a clinical/translational physician, and an academic/career development mentor. During the two-year CMFIT training, they will refine their research interests and embark on innovative predoctoral projects that are poised to make meaningful contributions to the field of molecular imaging.
CMFIT is a funded appointment with support from NIH (T32EB036973, PI: El Fakhri, Georges) and YSM.
Current Trainees
Curriculum
The goal of the CMFIT program is to offer graduate students an innovative, immersive experience that enables them to critically evaluate the field and develop research ideas that will transform molecular imaging. We aim for the CMFIT mandatory components to complement your graduate studies.
Students must already be enrolled in a Yale University graduate program.
Course Requirements
In addition to the standard requirements of your graduate program, the CMFIT program has mandatory components, listed below.
- Complete one of the three courses listed below
- ENAS 544 – Fundamentals of Medical Imaging
- ENAS 912 – Biomedical Image Processing and Analysis
- ENAS 550 – Physiological Systems
- Complete one elective course that is related to the aims of CMFIT. See CMFIT Optional Courses.
- Complete one course in statistics. This will likely be fulfilled by your standard graduate program curriculum. See CMFIT Optional Courses.
- Complete a course in Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR).
- Complete research apprenticeship. Apprenticeships are expected to include 1-2 lab rotations with different faculty members, each lasting 3 weeks. Apprenticeships should be completed with a CMFIT faculty mentor or another appropriate Yale faculty mentor.
- Attend the F31 Workshop, to be hosted by Yale Faculty.
- Appoint one CMFIT faculty mentor to your thesis committee.
- Attend a monthly lunch with the CMFIT program director and other Trainees.
CMFIT trainees are encouraged to participate in the following activities:
- Participate in the writing of publications
- Attend a local or national scientific conference in CMFIT Y01; present a poster/abstract in CMFIT Y02.
- Attend other scientific talks, workshops, events, etc.
- Attend an informal course in Nuclear Medicine Physics and Instrumentation (taught by CMFIT faculty)
- Participate as a peer mentor / engage in recruitment activities
Research Areas
CMFIT is housed under the Yale Biomedical Imaging Institute, which has 260 members from 33 departments with a broad range of expertise, including physics, chemistry, aging, neuroscience, cancer, cardiology, AI, biology, computer science, and beyond.
- Technologies
- Instrumentation
- Target Discovery
- Translation
- Cancer
- Brain Health and Disease
- Cardiac
- Inflammation
- Other Conditions
- Data Sciences
- AI
- Deep Learning
- Computational Tools
How to Apply
Complete the application form and send it to bioimaging.institute@yale.edu
Looking for a mentor? Go to participating mentor section.
Questions?
Contact:
- George El Fakhri, Program Director: georgeselfakhri@yale.edu
- Kira Grogg, Communications Director: kira.grogg@yale.edu
- Leigh Nerka, Program Manager: leigh.nerka@yale.edu
Participating Faculty Mentors
Associate Professor of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging and of Pharmacology
Research Interests- Alzheimer Disease
- Chemistry, Pharmaceutical
- Pharmacokinetics
- Pharmacology
- Biomarkers
- Neurodegenerative Diseases
- Positron-Emission Tomography
- Drug Discovery
- Drug Development
Assistant Professor
Research Interests- Amygdala
- Child Development
- Cognition
- Depression
- Motivation
- Schizophrenia
- Neuroimaging
Associate Professor of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging and of Biomedical Engineering
Research Interests- Brain Neoplasms
- Liver Neoplasms
- Molecular Imaging
Charles B.G. Murphy Professor of Psychiatry and of Neuroscience and of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging; Co-Director of the T32 Translational Alcohol Research Program, Psychiatry and Public Health
Research Interests- Alcohol Drinking
- Brain
- Opioid-Related Disorders
- Neurobiology
- Nicotine
- Radiology
- Positron-Emission Tomography
- Neuroimaging
- alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor
- Diseases
- Chemicals and Drugs
- Psychiatry and Psychology
Associate Professor of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging
Research Interests- Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
- Biomarkers, Tumor
- Metabolic Networks and Pathways
Professor of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging
Research Interests- Biomedical Engineering
- Energy Metabolism
- Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
- Radiology
Ebenezer K. Hunt Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Professor of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging; Department Chair, Biomedical Engineering
Research Interests- Biomedical Engineering
- Diagnostic Imaging
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- Radiology
- Temporal Lobe
Assistant Professor of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging
Research Interests- Autistic Disorder
- Biomedical Engineering
- Brain
- Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
- Neural Networks, Computer
Professor of Psychiatry; Director, Molecular Imaging Program, NCPTSD, VA; Director, Mood, Anxiety, and Cognitive Sciences Division
Research Interests- Psychiatry
- Radiology
- Nicotiana
- Mood Disorders
- Molecular Imaging
- Chemicals and Drugs
Assistant Professor of Neurology
Research Interests- Alzheimer Disease
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- Neuroimaging
- Functional Neuroimaging
- Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography
Associate Professor of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging
Research Interests- Mammography
- Radiology
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry; Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology; Director, Cognitive Neuroscience of Affect, Memories and Stress (CAMS) Lab, Psychiatry
Research Interests- Alcohol Drinking
- Association Learning
- Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms
- Emotions
- Glucocorticoids
- Habits
- Stress, Physiological
- Stress, Psychological
- Substance-Related Disorders
- Memory, Long-Term
- Functional Neuroimaging
- Memory, Episodic
Research Scientist in Radiology and Biomedical Imaging
Research Interests- Radiotherapy
- Positron-Emission Tomography
Professor of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging; Director of real-time fMRI
Research Interests- Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- Neurosciences
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
- Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
- Video Games
- Neurofeedback
- Psychiatry and Psychology
Professor of Neuroscience and of Biomedical Engineering and of Psychiatry; Member, Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair (CNNR); Associate Director, MD-PhD Program
Research Interests- Autistic Disorder
- Behavior
- Dendrites
- Electrophysiology
- Neurobiology
- Microscopy, Fluorescence, Multiphoton
John C. Malone Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Research Interests- Cell Communication
- Signal Transduction
- Microfluidics
- Systems Biology
Professor of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging; Associate Director of Biomedical Imaging Technology, Yale Biomedical Imaging Institute; Director for Research Faculty Affairs, Radiology & Biomedical Imaging
Assistant Professor of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging and of Biomedical Informatics and Data Science; Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering, Yale School of Engineering & Applied Science
Research Interests- Artificial Intelligence
- Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
- Information Science
- Neural Networks, Computer
- Deep Learning
Associate Professor of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging; Director, NeuroPET Imaging Program, Radiology and Biomedical Imaging; Medical Director, Yale Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Center
Research Interests- Autistic Disorder
- Mental Disorders
- Parkinson Disease
- Social Class
- Meditation
- Essential Tremor
- Molecular Imaging
- Frontotemporal Dementia
- Neuropsychiatry
- Neuroimaging
- Addiction Medicine
Associate Professor of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging; Director, Yale PET Core, Yale Biomedical Imaging Institute
Waldemar von Zedtwitz Professor of Medicine and Biomedical Informatics and Data Science; Deputy Dean for Biomedical Informatics; Chair, Department of Biomedical Informatics and Data Science
Research Interests- Informatics
- Machine Learning
- Data Science
Associate Professor of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging; Affiliated Faculty, Yale Institute for Global Health
Professor of Biomedical Informatics & Data Science, and Radiology & Biomedical Imaging; Associate Director of Biomedical Imaging Data Sciences, Yale Biomedical Imaging Institute; Director of Medical Software and Medical Artificial Intelligence Certificate Program, Department of Biomedical Informatics & Data Science, Yale Biomedical Imaging Institute
Research Interests- Biomedical Engineering
- Brain
- Radiology
- Software
- Imaging, Three-Dimensional
Professor of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging; Director of Cardiac MRI, Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Research Interests- Atrial Fibrillation
- Diagnostic Imaging
- Gadolinium
- Liver
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- Radiology
- Imaging, Three-Dimensional
Professor
Research Interests- Aneurysm
- Aortic Aneurysm
- Aortic Diseases
- Aortic Valve
- Aortic Valve Stenosis
- Cardiovascular Diseases
- Heart Diseases
- Industry
- Molecular Biology
- Cardiomyopathies
- Radioactive Tracers
- Technology
- Tomography, X-Ray Computed
- Vascular Diseases
- Molecular Probes
- Peripheral Vascular Diseases
- Diagnostic Techniques and Procedures
- Biomedical Technology
- Early Diagnosis
- Positron-Emission Tomography
- Molecular Imaging
- Optical Imaging
- Diseases
- Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment
- Health Care
- Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography Computed Tomography
Professor of Medicine (Cardiology); Chairman, Yale Radioactive Investigation Drug Committee (RIDC), Internal Med/Cardiology; Chairman, Yale Radioactive Safety Committee (RSC), Internal Med/Cardiology; Director, Animal Research Laboratories, Internal Med/Cardiology; Chairman, Radioactive Drug Research Committee (RDRC), Internal Med/Cardiology; Director, Yale Translational Research Imaging Center (Y-TRIC), Internal Med/Cardiology; Director, Advanced Cardiovascular Imaging, Internal Med/Cardiology; Board of Directors, Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) -Nuclear/PET, Internal Med/Cardiology, Yale School of Medicine
Research Interests- Cardiology
- Cardiovascular System
- Echocardiography
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
- Positron-Emission Tomography
- Myocardial Perfusion Imaging
- Translational Research, Biomedical
Elizabeth Mears and House Jameson Professor of Psychiatry and of Neurology and Neuroscience; Director, Alzheimer's Disease Research Unit; Director, Yale Alzheimer's Disease Research Center; Director, Division of Aging and Geriatric Psychiatry
Research Interests- Aging
- Alzheimer Disease
- Drug Therapy
- Genetics
- Neurobiology
- Neurology
- Psychiatry
- Positron-Emission Tomography
- Neuroimaging