Robert Flavell

Dr. Robert R. Flavell, MD, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). He completed his MD-PhD at Weill Cornell Medical College and Rockefeller University, followed by residency and fellowship at UCSF.

• MD, PhD: Tri-Institutional Program (Cornell, Rockefeller, Memorial Sloan-Kettering)
• Residency: UCSF Radiology with NIH T32 fellowship
• Board Certification: Nuclear Medicine

His Molecular Imaging Lab develops novel PET and hyperpolarized MRI techniques for cancer diagnostics and therapy monitoring, with a focus on prostate cancer. Key projects include:

• Acidic interstitial pH imaging via [18F]FDG amines (Flavell et al., Bioconjugate Chem., 2016)
• Quantitative pH measurement using hyperpolarized 13C bicarbonate (Flavell et al., Chem. Comm., 2015)
• Metal microenvironment imaging and immune activation metabolic signatures

Research trends from his publications (2014-2023) show consistent innovation in:

• CD46-targeted alpha particle therapy (225Ac/212Pb)
• PSMA-targeted nanotheranostics
• Bacterial infection imaging via D-amino acid tracers
• PET/MRI hybrid imaging for metabolic and perfusion analysis
• Hyperpolarized 13C probes for real-time metabolic monitoring
• Chemoenzymatic synthesis of radiotracers

Scientific honors include:

• Prostate Cancer Foundation Young Investigator Award (2017-2020)
• Society of Abdominal Radiology Stern Award (2017-2019)
• DoD Prostate Cancer Training Grant (2016)
• RSNA Certificates of Merit (2014, 2015)

Dr. Flavell's work bridges radiology, biochemistry, and oncology, with emphasis on clinical translation of imaging agents. His lab collaborates with hyperpolarized imaging experts, radiochemists, and oncologists for multimodal cancer characterization.