Molecular Imaging Innovations Institute (MI3)

MI3 Director


Michelle Bradbury

Michelle Bradbury, M.D., Ph.D., is a Professor of Radiology and Endowed Professor of Imaging Research at Weill Cornell Medicine specializing in Neuroradiology. She is Director of the Molecular Imaging Innovations Institute (MI3) and the Perioperative Imaging and Engineered Technologies Program for Cancer Treatment. She is also Head of Cross-Campus Research Collaborations and Innovations within the Cornell Institute for Engineering Innovations in Medicine. Dr. Bradbury earned a B.A. in Chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania. She then received an M.S. degree in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Maryland, followed by a Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering (Radiological Sciences) from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 1997, she received her M.D. degree at George Washington University School of Medicine. Her laboratory is focused on co-developing and translating molecularly targeted, ultrasmall particle and cellular-engineered platforms to the clinic for image-guided surgical and theranostic applications. These efforts build on longstanding diagnostic and therapeutic research programs at the nano-bio interface in various tumor and other disease models.

About MI3

The Molecular Imaging Innovations Institute (MI3) is dedicated to the development of imaging probes and technologies that enable the institute to visualize disease and therapeutics at multi-scale levels. The institute’s collaborative environment serves as a nexus for pre-clinical and clinical translational programs. The MI3’s mission is to drive innovation of new diagnostics and therapies from bench to bedside, and to accelerate the development and translation of personalized medicine. The institute emphasizes translational medicine in oncology, cardiovascular diseases, neurologic and neuropsychiatric sciences, obesity research, and infectious diseases. MI3 is at the forefront of multiple platform technologies including radiochemistry, nanotechnology, polymer and synthetic chemistry, optical imaging, medical physics, and antibody and cell engineering.

Radiotracers

We are developing novel radiotracers to identify diagnostic and prognostic imaging biomarkers for clinical disease management, and to deliver therapeutic radiation for cancer therapy. Examples include positron emission tomography (PET) radioactive tracers to detect early myocardial damage, dysfunctional metabolism, and cancer biomarkers. PET radioisotopes are combined with small molecules, peptides, and biologics such as antibodies for imaging biomarkers.

Drug-Delivery Systems

MI3 investigators utilize multi-scale carriers to deliver drugs specific to diseased cells and tissues. Examples include: 1) small molecules against immune checkpoints to overcome immune suppression, 2) peptide-based nanofibers to achieve shape-controlled tumor uptake, charge-assisted tissue penetration, and enzyme-induced tumor retention, 3) multi-step pre-targeted radioimmunotherapy to improve therapeutic index and pharmacokinetics of therapeutic radioisotopes, and 3) antibody-drug conjugates.

T-Cell Immunotherapy

We are developing T-cell immunotherapy against cancers for simultaneous therapy and imaging. Examples include somatostatin receptor-2 (SSTR2) for imaging T cell distribution and activity in vivo using PET/computed tomography (CT), and micromolar affinity chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells to be selective to antigens overexpressed in tumor/tumor stroma while sparing normal cells with basal expression of the same antigen.