Georges El Fakhri, Ph.D., M.Eng., MSEE, MSBME, of Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass., received the prestigious Mark Tetalman Award, which honors the work of a young investigator who is pursuing a career in molecular imaging/nuclear medicine. This $2,500 award is based in part on submitting a paper supporting current research efforts as well as research accomplishments, teaching, clinical service and administration. The award is named in memory of a highly respected and productive clinician and researcher.

El Fakhri is a staff physicist in the joint program in nuclear medicine and an assistant professor of radiology at Harvard Medical School. He received his doctorate from the University of Paris in 1998 and holds a master's degree in biomedical engineering from the University of Paris and a master's degree in electrical engineering and computer science from the University of Texas, Austin.

For the first time, the society offered the Mitzi and William Blahd, M.D., Pilot Research Grant, which honors the couple's dedication to philanthropic support for education and research in nuclear medicine. Receiving $10,000 was Gary Ulaner, M.D., Ph.D., University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Calif. His research project was "PET and Bioluminescent Imaging of Telomerase Promoter Activity to Evaluate in Vivo Chemotherapy Response."

Pilot research grants, each totaling $8,000, support clinical and basic research by young investigators who are interested in testing innovative ideas while other major grant support is being sought. Recipients include