UT-ORNL Recruits Radiopharmaceutical Scientist to Advance Integrated Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment

The University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge National Laboratory jointly announced that Dr. Carolyn Anderson has been appointed to the UT-ORNL Governor's Chair in Nuclear Medicine: Radiopharmaceutical Therapy. Anderson officially assumed the position on August 1, serving concurrently as a professor in the Department of Nuclear Engineering at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and as a researcher in the Isotope Science and Enrichment Directorate at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. She is an internationally renowned pioneer in the field of radiopharmaceutical science, having worked at institutions such as the University of Washington, the University of Pittsburgh, and the University of Missouri.

Dr. Anderson's research focuses on developing radiolabeled compounds that can identify cancer earlier, assess treatment efficacy, and deliver radiation directly to tumors while minimizing damage to healthy tissue. Her work has advanced the development of companion diagnostics and therapeutics, which combine diagnostic imaging and targeted therapy to enable personalized cancer treatment and improve patient outcomes. Radiopharmaceuticals use radioactive substances to diagnose and treat cancer with greater precision, thereby minimizing damage to healthy tissue.

During her time at the University of Missouri, Dr. Anderson's research focused on developing radiolabeled compounds capable of identifying cancer earlier, assessing treatment efficacy, and delivering radiation directly to tumors while minimizing damage to healthy tissue. She earned her bachelor's degree in chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Superior and her doctorate in inorganic chemistry from Florida State University. She has received numerous honors, including the Michael J. Welch Award from the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, the Paul C. Aebersold Award, the George de Hevesy Nuclear Pioneer Award, the Distinguished Fellow Award from the Radiation Research Society, and the Glenn T. Seaborg Award for Nuclear Chemistry from the American Chemical Society.

Dr. Anderson stated that returning to Tennessee feels like coming full circle, as she spent her graduate school years at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which played a significant role in shaping her scientific career. She looks forward to collaborating with researchers at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, UT Health Science Center, and UT Medical Center to advance radiopharmaceutical therapy from basic research to clinical translation, ultimately improving patient lives. She also hopes to mentor future scientists and help them realize their discoveries.

Anderson's appointment marks the third Governor's Chair recruited through the University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge Innovation Institute in 2026, following Deep Jariwala in quantum devices and Orlando Rojas in circular biomaterials.