Jason Cai, PhD

Associate Professor of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging and of Pharmacology

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Appointments

Radiology & Biomedical Imaging

Primary

Pharmacology

Secondary

Contact Info

jason.cai@yale.edu

203.785.7691

PET Core

801 Howard Ave

New Haven, CT 06519

United States

About

Titles

Associate Professor of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging and of Pharmacology

Biography

Dr. Jason Cai is an Associate Professor of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging and of Pharmacology, with expertise in Medicinal Chemistry and Radiopharmaceutical Sciences. After studying at the University of Missouri-Columbia, Dr. Cai joined Carolyn Anderson’s lab at the University of Pittsburgh as a postdoctoral associate, focusing on radiopharmaceutical development and preclinical PET imaging in oncology. In 2015, he joint Yale PET Center to expand his research portfolio to brain PET imaging. His research group is currently focusing on the development and translation of novel PET imaging probes for drug PK/PD study and the investigation of CNS disorders and Oncology. He is the recipient of the NIH Career Development Award (K01) in 2017, SNMMI Berson-Yalow Award in 2018, and Archer Foundation Research Scholar Award in 2019.

Last Updated on July 29, 2023.

Appointments

Radiology & Biomedical Imaging
Associate Professor on Term
Primary
Radiology & Biomedical Imaging
Pharmacology
Associate Professor on Term
Secondary
Pharmacology

Education & Training

Postdoctoral/Research Associate: University of Pittsburgh (2015)

PhD: University of Missouri-Columbia, Chemistry (2011)

Research

Overview

PET imaging; Brain imaging; Cancer diagnosis and prognosis; Biomarker and drug discovery and development

Medical Research Interests

Alzheimer Disease; Biomarkers; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical; Drug Development; Drug Discovery; Neurodegenerative Diseases; Pharmacokinetics; Pharmacology; Positron-Emission Tomography

Public Health Interests

Aging; Biomarkers

ORCID
0000-0002-2005-6760

Research at a Glance

Yale Co-Authors

Frequent collaborators of Jason Cai's published research.

Richard Carson, PhD
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Yiyun Huang, PhD
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Takuya Toyonaga, MD, PhD
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Nabeel Nabulsi, PhD
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View 7 Common Publications
David Matuskey, MD
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Mika Naganawa, PhD
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Publications

2026

PD-L1 PET/CT imaging with 18F-BMS-986,229 and 18F-BMS-986,192 in patients with advanced-stage non-small cell lung cancer
Smit J, Borm F, Gerards N, Wiegers S, Holden D, Leung D, Grootendorst D, Windhorst B, Nabulsi N, Cai Z, Huang Y, Carson R, Gettinger S, Smit E, Boellaard R, de Langen A. PD-L1 PET/CT imaging with 18F-BMS-986,229 and 18F-BMS-986,192 in patients with advanced-stage non-small cell lung cancer. European Journal Of Nuclear Medicine And Molecular Imaging 2026, 1-10. PMID: 42809016, DOI: 10.1007/s00259-026-08188-4.
Peer-Reviewed Original Research
Noninvasive Quantification of [18F]SynVesT-2 PET in Healthy Human Brains Using Simplified Reference Tissue Models
Hernández-Martín N, Balayeva T, Naganawa M, Asch R, Huang Y, Carson R, Gallezot J, Cai Z. Noninvasive Quantification of [18F]SynVesT-2 PET in Healthy Human Brains Using Simplified Reference Tissue Models. Journal Of Nuclear Medicine 2026, 67: 796-802. PMID: 41679926, PMCID: PMC13138105, DOI: 10.2967/jnumed.125.271207.
Peer-Reviewed Original Research
This study investigates simplified models for measuring brain synaptic density using SV2A PET scans, showing a 40-minute scan can reliably replace invasive methods, improving clinical feasibility.
Full Summary

2025

In Vivo Positron Emission Tomography Imaging of Presynaptic Density Reveals Stress-Associated Synaptic Deficits Related to Behavioral and Molecular Alterations in Rats
Asch R, Martin N, Garcia-Milian R, Fowles K, DiLeone R, Cai Z, Liston C, Esterlis I. In Vivo Positron Emission Tomography Imaging of Presynaptic Density Reveals Stress-Associated Synaptic Deficits Related to Behavioral and Molecular Alterations in Rats. Biological Psychiatry Cognitive Neuroscience And Neuroimaging 2025, 11: 463-475. PMID: 41038318, PMCID: PMC12614775, DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2025.09.021.
Peer-Reviewed Original Research
[18F]SynVesT-1 PET Detects SV2A Changes in the Spinal Cord and Brain of Rats with Spinal Cord Injury
Chen B, Zheng C, Balayeva T, Toyonaga T, Wang X, Tong J, Mennie W, Mihailovic J, Coman D, Hyder F, Strittmatter S, Carson R, Huang Y, Cai Z. [18F]SynVesT-1 PET Detects SV2A Changes in the Spinal Cord and Brain of Rats with Spinal Cord Injury. Journal Of Nuclear Medicine 2025, 66: 1440-1448. PMID: 40675757, PMCID: PMC12410297, DOI: 10.2967/jnumed.124.269291.
Peer-Reviewed Original Research
MeSH Keywords
Evaluation of radio-thin-layer chromatography as an alternative to radio-HPLC for [18F]SynVesT-1 metabolism analysis in rats
Balayeva T, Asch R, Tan P, Mennie W, Tong J, Chen B, Zhuang Z, Zheng C, Zheng M, Toyonaga T, Cai Z. Evaluation of radio-thin-layer chromatography as an alternative to radio-HPLC for [18F]SynVesT-1 metabolism analysis in rats. Nuclear Medicine And Biology 2025, 146: 109029. PMID: 40383020, PMCID: PMC12228526, DOI: 10.1016/j.nucmedbio.2025.109029.
Peer-Reviewed Original Research
Current Advances in PARP1‐Targeted Theranostics
Tong J, Chen B, Volpi T, Li Y, Ellison P, Cai Z. Current Advances in PARP1‐Targeted Theranostics. Journal Of Labelled Compounds And Radiopharmaceuticals 2025, 68: e4135. PMID: 39995212, DOI: 10.1002/jlcr.4135.
Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus Statements
MeSH Keywords

2024

Repetitive Mild Closed-Head Injury Induced Synapse Loss and Increased Local BOLD-fMRI Signal Homogeneity
Markicevic M, Mandino F, Toyonaga T, Cai Z, Fesharaki-Zadeh A, Shen X, Strittmatter S, Lake E. Repetitive Mild Closed-Head Injury Induced Synapse Loss and Increased Local BOLD-fMRI Signal Homogeneity. Journal Of Neurotrauma 2024, 41: 2528-2544. PMID: 39096127, PMCID: PMC11698675, DOI: 10.1089/neu.2024.0095.
Peer-Reviewed Original Research
Noninvasive quantification of [18F]SynVesT-1 binding using simplified reference tissue model 2
Naganawa M, Gallezot J, Li S, Nabulsi N, Henry S, Cai Z, Matuskey D, Huang Y, Carson R. Noninvasive quantification of [18F]SynVesT-1 binding using simplified reference tissue model 2. European Journal Of Nuclear Medicine And Molecular Imaging 2024, 52: 113-121. PMID: 39155309, DOI: 10.1007/s00259-024-06885-6.
Peer-Reviewed Original Research
First-in-Human Study of 18F-SynVesT-2: An SV2A PET Imaging Probe with Fast Brain Kinetics and High Specific Binding
Drake L, Wu Y, Naganawa M, Asch R, Zheng C, Najafzadeh S, Pracitto R, Lindemann M, Li S, Ropchan J, Labaree D, Emery P, Dias M, Henry S, Nabulsi N, Matuskey D, Hillmer A, Gallezot J, Carson R, Cai Z, Huang Y. First-in-Human Study of 18F-SynVesT-2: An SV2A PET Imaging Probe with Fast Brain Kinetics and High Specific Binding. Journal Of Nuclear Medicine 2024, 65: jnumed.123.266470. PMID: 38360052, PMCID: PMC10924160, DOI: 10.2967/jnumed.123.266470.
Peer-Reviewed Original Research

2023

Neuronal transcriptome, tau and synapse loss in Alzheimer’s knock-in mice require prion protein
Stoner A, Fu L, Nicholson L, Zheng C, Toyonaga T, Spurrier J, Laird W, Cai Z, Strittmatter S. Neuronal transcriptome, tau and synapse loss in Alzheimer’s knock-in mice require prion protein. Alzheimer's Research & Therapy 2023, 15: 201. PMID: 37968719, PMCID: PMC10647125, DOI: 10.1186/s13195-023-01345-z.
Peer-Reviewed Original Research
MeSH Keywords

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Academic Achievements & Community Involvement

Honors

honor
Archer Foundation Research Award
01/01/2019National AwardArcher Foundation
Details
honor
Berson-Yalow Award
06/24/2018International AwardSNMMI
Details
honor
Young Investigator Award
07/16/2016International AwardFunctional NeuroReceptor Mapping
Details

News & Links

Media

Zheng, C. et al. A metabolically stable PET probe for imaging the synaptic vesicle protein 2A: Synthesis and preclinical characterization of [18F]SDM-16.
The in vivo quantification of synaptic density by SV2A PET in rodent brains opens an avenue to measure the synaptic dynamics in the context of other proteinopathies and circuit changes longitudinally for mechanistical studies and to monitor therapeutical interventions preclinically.

News

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Get In Touch

Contacts

jason.cai@yale.edu

Academic Office Number

203.785.7691

Mailing Address

PET Core

801 Howard Ave

New Haven, CT 06519

United States

Locations

Laboratory for Medicine and Pediatrics (LMP)
Academic Office
15 York Street, Rm LMP89D
New Haven, CT 06510
Get Directions

Appointments

Contact Info

Titles

Biography

Appointments

Radiology & Biomedical Imaging

Pharmacology

Other Departments & Organizations

Education & Training

Overview

Medical Research Interests

Public Health Interests

ORCID

Research at a Glance

Yale Co-Authors

Richard Carson, PhD

Yiyun Huang, PhD

Takuya Toyonaga, MD, PhD

Nabeel Nabulsi, PhD

David Matuskey, MD

Mika Naganawa, PhD

Publications

2026

2025

2024

2023

Honors

Archer Foundation Research Award

Berson-Yalow Award

Young Investigator Award

Media

A novel SV2A PET tracer with high binding affinity and in vivo stability

SV2A PET in APP/PS1 Mice

News

Yale Scientists Lauded by Academy for Radiology and Biomedical Imaging Research

Four Yale Radiology Professors Recognized as Distinguished Investigators

From Discovery to Impact: Collaboration Accelerates Women's Health Research at Inaugural Symposium

Women’s Health Research at Yale and SWHR’s Symposium Highlights the Power of Collaboration to Advance Women’s Health Research

Contacts

Locations

Laboratory for Medicine and Pediatrics (LMP)