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About

Chi-Wei Chang is a leading radiochemist whose career has centered on the development of automated, robotic platforms for the synthesis of positron emission tomography (PET) tracers. His primary research areas include radiochemistry, automated radiosynthesis, and the development of molecular imaging probes for oncology and neurology. Chang’s major contributions lie in pioneering high-yield, semi-automated robotic methods that have made complex radiotracers more accessible for clinical and preclinical research. His most cited work, "A robotic synthesis of [18F]fluoromisonidazole ([18F]FMISO)" (2007, 28 citations), established a reliable protocol for producing this critical hypoxia imaging agent. He further advanced the field with robotic syntheses of 6-[18F]fluoro-L-dopa (2000, 16 citations) and gene expression imaging probes like [18F]FHBG and [18F]FHPG (2006, 14 citations). More recently, his team developed an automated synthesis for a novel iNOS-targeted PET tracer for neuroinflammation imaging (2021, 6 citations). By automating the production of these vital compounds, Chang has significantly improved reproducibility and safety in radiochemistry, enabling broader access to advanced PET imaging for both research and clinical diagnostics.