Suzanne Lapi, Ph.D., vice chair of research, director of the UAB Cyclotron Facility, co-leader of the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center Experimental Therapeutics program, Emmet O’Neal II Endowed Professor in lung cancer research, and professor in the Division of Advanced Medical Imaging Research with the UAB Department of Radiology, has been appointed to the rank of Distinguished Professor in the UAB Heersink School of Medicine.
"I am incredibly proud of the laudable work that Dr. Lapi has performed for the Department of Radiology and the Heersink School of Medicine”, said Srini Tridandapani, M.D., Ph.D., MBA, interim chair in the Department of Radiology, vice chair and division director of Imaging Informatics, and professor in the cardiopulmonary imaging section. “She exemplifies the UAB mission through her contributions to life-saving research."
Lapi received her Bachelor of Science, Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada. She received her masters’ in nuclear chemistry in 2003 and her doctorate in nuclear chemistry in 2007. After earning her doctorate degree, Lapi began her postgraduate fellowship in radiology and biomedical imaging at the University of California, San Francisco in 2007. Following this, she accepted a position as an assistant professor in radiology at Washington University. She also had a faculty appointment in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, the Department of Chemistry, Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences. She rose to become a tenured associate professor in radiology and developed a strong research program focused on the development of novel isotopes for molecular imaging and therapeutics.
She joined the UAB faculty in 2015 as a tenured associate professor in the Department of Radiology and the Department of Chemistry and became the UAB Cyclotron Facility Director. In 2017, she became the director of the Division of Advanced Medical Imaging Research. She was promoted to full professor with tenure in 2018 and became the vice chair of research in the Department of Radiology in 2021.
Lapi has been awarded many academic honors and has served on numerous committees and councils including National Institutes of Health Review Panels. She was awarded the title of Fellow of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (FSNMMI) in 2020 and in 2024, Lapi was awarded Michael J. Welch Award from the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Radiopharmaceutical Sciences Council. This award honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the field of radiopharmaceutical sciences, have been involved in mentoring students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty, and have provided community service to the field of radiopharmaceutical chemistry and molecular imaging.
In 2022, she was honored for her research track record and exceptional abilities and was named the First Holder of the Emmet O’Neal II Endowed Professorship. She has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to the academic missions of UAB Heersink School of Medicine, filling multiple vital roles at our institution. She is an accomplished and proven leader, a dedicated researcher, and a remarkable educator and mentor.