Mahmood Akhtar

The University of Sydney, National University of Sciences and Technology

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About

Dr. Mahmood Akhtar is a pioneering researcher in biomedical imaging, with a primary focus on advancing positron emission tomography (PET) for freely moving small animals. His major contributions lie in developing novel imaging systems that enable simultaneous brain functional imaging and behavioral response measurements without the confounding effects of anesthesia. His landmark 2018 work, "Open-field PET," which has garnered 33 citations, represents a breakthrough in studying the molecular origins of debilitating brain disorders such as dementia, depression, and schizophrenia. This was built upon his earlier foundational 2013 study (20 citations) introducing a motion-adaptive animal chamber for PET imaging, addressing a critical limitation in preclinical neuroscience research. Dr. Akhtar's innovative approach allows researchers to observe authentic neural activity and behavior in awake, freely moving subjects, dramatically enhancing the translational relevance of animal models. His work has been instrumental in unlocking PET's full potential for investigating complex brain disorders. Additionally, he has contributed to computational imaging through work on superpixel-based saliency detection models, demonstrating versatility across imaging modalities. Dr. Akhtar's research continues to shape the future of molecular imaging in neuroscience.