Edward J. Hoffman
Encyclopedia
Edward Joseph Hoffman helped invent the first human PET scanner
, a commonly used whole-body scanning
procedure for detecting diseases like cancer
. Hoffman, with Michael Phelps, developed the Positron Emission Tomography
scanner in 1973.
Hoffman was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He earned a BS chemistry from St. Louis University in 1963, his Ph.D. in Nuclear Chemistry from Washington University in St. Louis
in 1970 and completed postgraduate work in nuclear chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania
. In 1972 he joined the faculty of Washington University’s School of Medicine, where he and Dr. Michael Phelps began developing what later became known as the PET scanner, used to detect cancer, heart disease and other serious illnesses. In 1975 , Phelps and Hoffman moved to the University of Pennsylvania.
Starting in 1976, Hoffman was a professor at UCLA medical school in the Departments of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology and Radiological Sciences. In 1999, he authored a book that reviews the biochemical basis of alternative medical treatments for cancer. He served as Editor-in-Chief of the journal IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science.
He died of liver cancer in Los Angeles
, California
.
Positron emission tomography
Positron emission tomography is nuclear medicine imaging technique that produces a three-dimensional image or picture of functional processes in the body. The system detects pairs of gamma rays emitted indirectly by a positron-emitting radionuclide , which is introduced into the body on a...
, a commonly used whole-body scanning
Full-body scan
Full-body scan is a scan of the patient's entire body to support the diagnosis and treatment of illnesses. It may also be known as a full-body CT scan if computed tomography technology is used, though there are many types of medical imaging technology which can perform full-body scans .-Use in...
procedure for detecting diseases like cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
. Hoffman, with Michael Phelps, developed the Positron Emission Tomography
Positron emission tomography
Positron emission tomography is nuclear medicine imaging technique that produces a three-dimensional image or picture of functional processes in the body. The system detects pairs of gamma rays emitted indirectly by a positron-emitting radionuclide , which is introduced into the body on a...
scanner in 1973.
Hoffman was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He earned a BS chemistry from St. Louis University in 1963, his Ph.D. in Nuclear Chemistry from Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis is a private research university located in suburban St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1853, and named for George Washington, the university has students and faculty from all fifty U.S. states and more than 110 nations...
in 1970 and completed postgraduate work in nuclear chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
. In 1972 he joined the faculty of Washington University’s School of Medicine, where he and Dr. Michael Phelps began developing what later became known as the PET scanner, used to detect cancer, heart disease and other serious illnesses. In 1975 , Phelps and Hoffman moved to the University of Pennsylvania.
Starting in 1976, Hoffman was a professor at UCLA medical school in the Departments of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology and Radiological Sciences. In 1999, he authored a book that reviews the biochemical basis of alternative medical treatments for cancer. He served as Editor-in-Chief of the journal IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science.
He died of liver cancer in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.