Newly appointed Director of the Crump Institute

Dear Colleagues, 

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Arion Hadjioannou, PhD as Director of the Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging (CIMI) effective June 1, 2025. The CIMI is an organized research unit that was established in 1990 with a focus on discovery and invention level research with integrated programs with faculty in the Schools of Medicine and Engineering, and the College.

After obtaining his B.Sc. degree in Physics from the University of Athens in Greece, Dr. Chatziioannou (Hadjioannou) joined the UCLA Physics in Biology and Medicine graduate program to train as an imaging scientist and work towards quantification of whole-body PET, a then nascent technology. After earning his Ph.D. in Biomedical Physics (1996) he joined the lab of Dr. Simon Cherry on the development of microPET, a pioneering imaging system that led to several generations of preclinical PET systems in use worldwide today. 

In 2001, he became a member of the Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging and a faculty in the Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology working with Dr. Michael Phelps and Dr. Sam Gambhir and where he currently is a Professor and Vice Chair. He has been the co-Associate Director of the Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging since 2009 and the Crump Chair in Medical Engineering since 2024. Dr. Chatziioannou has contributed to the creation of the Small Animal Imaging Shared Resource (SAISR) at UCLA, which provides state-of-the-art imaging technologies and services to researchers. 

His research focuses on the development of advanced in vivo molecular imaging technologies, including positron emission tomography (PET), micro-computed tomography (microCT), and optical imaging systems. In his 30+ year scientific career, he has made discoveries in the area of molecular imaging, such as the emission of Cerenkov luminescence by radiolabeled probes in liquid solutions, which has enabled new technologies in microfluidics and in vivo applications. The technologies he developed are being used by research laboratories worldwide, enabling research in molecular imaging. With an H-index of 50 and over 13,000 citations, Dr. Chatziioannou ranks among the top researchers in his field. 

We would like to thank Dr. Stephen Cannon for his exemplary service and dedication as Interim Director of the Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging since May 2019; his leadership has been invaluable during this period. We also thank the members of the search committee, whose names are listed below, for their time and efforts in this search process.

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Hadjioannou to his new role. 

John Mazziotta, MD, PhD
Vice Chancellor, UCLA Health Sciences 
CEO, UCLA Health 

Steven M. Dubinett, MD
Dean, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Associate Vice Chancellor, UCLA

Joaquín (Quim) Madrenas, MD, PhD, FCAHS
Professor of Medicine
Vice Dean for Faculty, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA

Paul Boutros, PhD, MBA
Professor, Department of Human Genetics and Urology
Vice Dean for Research (Interim), David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
 

Director, Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging Search Committee: 

• Denise Aberle, MD (search committee co-chair): Professor, Departments of Radiological Sciences and Bioengineering
• Linda Demer, MD, PhD (search committee co-chair): Professor, Departments of Medicine, Physiology, and Bioengineering, and Vice Chair, Department of Medicine
• Jeff Miller, PhD: Director, California NanoSystems Institute; Professor, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics
• Christine Mona, PhD: Assistant Professor, Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology
• Katherine Narr, PhD: Professor, Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences
• Qibing Pei, PhD: Professor, Departments of Materials Science and Engineering and Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering; Vice Chair for Undergraduate Education
• Fausto Rodriguez, MD: Professor, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine; Director of Neuropathology, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
• Jose Rodriguez, PhD: Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry