Dr. Nicholas Patronas, CC neuroradiology section chief, retires
Dr. Nicholas Patronas (171 KB), chief of the Section of Neuroradiology in the NIH Clinical Center Radiology and Imaging Sciences Department, retired Sept. 30. Patronas is a distinguished leader in the neuroradiology field for three decades.
Patronas arrived at NIH in 1981. Initially, he worked as a fellow in the National Institutes of Neurologic Disorders and Stroke on the new imaging modality at the time called Positron Emission Tomography (PET). He has served as a staff radiologist at the CC and as a professor of radiology at Georgetown University. He returned to NIH, as a contact radiologist and then became a federal employee in 1996.
At the CC, he was key in the creation of the section of neuroradiology, and, jointly with Georgetown University and George Washington University, he helped establish a neuroradiology training program. Throughout his career, Patronas taught medical students, residents and fellows and advanced medical knowledge.
He authored or co-authored over 250 papers in peer reviewed journals and in book chapters. His work has been cited over 22,000 times. Among his most commonly cited publications are the original observations that PET imaging plays an important role in the diagnosis and grading of tumors. Commonly cited work also includes observations related to PET scanning in Alzheimer's disease and in epilepsy. The publications related to diffusion and perfusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are significant contributions pointing to the value of these MRI modalities in the study of various diseases in the central nervous system.
At a retirement celebration in October, Patronas expressed his thankfulness for the opportunity to work and participate in the research effort of many other scientists.
"This is a great institution because we have made a lot of contributions to the management of patients and in promoting the field of imaging," he said. "Results cannot be done by one person. You have to have a team that is dedicated and works together."
He acknowledged technologists and administrative staff for their support. He also thanked Dr. John Gallin, director of the CC, and Dr. David Bluemke, director of the Radiology and Imaging Sciences Department.
In retirement, Patronas serves as a special volunteer helping to analyze imaging data.