Darko Pucar, MD, PhD

MD, University of Belgrade
PhD, Mayo Graduate School

Dr. Pucar earned his MD from the University of Belgrade and a PhD in Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics from the Mayo Graduate School in Rochester, MN. He completed the Holman Research Pathway Radiology Residency at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, followed by a Nuclear Medicine Residency and Molecular Imaging Fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Dr. Pucar served as a nuclear radiology faculty member at Augusta University, Yale University, and Cleveland Clinic Florida. He is a nationally recognized expert in Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, with expertise in general nuclear medicine, PET/CT and oncologic imaging, nuclear neuroimaging, nuclear cardiology, radionuclide therapy, and oncologic body imaging. He has specialized experience in evaluating tumor treatment response in clinical trials using PET and CT/MRI criteria. He has served as Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator on over 20 grants and contracts.

His PhD research employed novel ¹⁸O-assisted ³¹P NMR spectroscopy to demonstrate that alterations in creatine kinase, adenylate kinase, and glycolytic phosphotransfer enzymes are critical for cellular responses in myocardial ischemia and heart failure. The work also highlighted the essential role of phosphotransfer enzymes interaction with KATP channels in mediating cellular adaptation to stress.

In his prostate cancer research, he discovered that prostate MRI could detect local recurrence of prostate cancer following radiation therapy—typically arising at the site of the dominant intraprostatic tumor. This finding transformed clinical practice by shifting diagnostic and therapeutic strategies toward targeting the dominant intraprostatic lesion.

Dr. Pucar has served as PI or co-I in clinical trials spanning the full spectrum of molecular imaging. He was a co-I on the pivotal CONDOR trial, which led to FDA approval of 18F-DCFPyL PET/CT for prostate cancer imaging in 2021. 18F-DCFPyL is a radiotracer that targets the prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) receptor. Since its approval, PSMA PET/CT has become the most sensitive diagnostic modality for advanced prostate cancer, with applications in restaging, therapeutic monitoring, and guidance for PSMA-targeted radionuclide therapies.

Recently, Dr. Pucar advanced molecular imaging of inflammation by introducing novel methodologies for quantifying inflammatory activity using FDG PET/CT imaging.

Dr. Pucar joined the Clinical Center in 2024 as staff clinician and became Chief of Nuclear Medicine Section in 2025. His goal is to modernize nuclear medicine clinical practice by integrating artificial intelligence tools across operational workflows, image processing, and interpretation. These technologies are expected to significantly enhance scheduling efficiency, image quality, reader satisfaction and confidence, as well as the precision and completeness of clinical interpretations and data output.

• Fourth Year Teaching Award, recognition from graduating radiology residents, New Haven, CT; 2022
• Department of Radiology Teacher of the Year, Augusta University, Augusta, GA; 2013
• Otorhinolaryngology (ENT) Consultant of the Year, Augusta University, Augusta, GA; 2012

Linberg L, Hope TA, LIN FL, Rowe SP, Pucar D, Gilbert N, Chicco D, He B, Feurecker B, Castaldi E, Solnes LB. Safety, Dosimetry, and Feasibility of [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-R2 as an Imaging Agent in Patients with Biochemical Recurrence or Metastatic Prostate Cancer. J Nucl Med. 2025 Mar 3;66(3):359-365. doi: 10.2967/jnumed.124.268318.

Liu J, Ren S, Wang R, Mirian N, Tsai YJ, Kulon M, Pucar D, Chen MK, Liu C. Virtual high-count PET image generation using a deep learning method. Med Phys. 2022 Sep;49(9):5830-5840. doi: 10.1002/mp.15867.

Adin M, Isufi E, Kulon M, Pucar D. COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine Induced Ipsilateral Lymph Node Reactivity on PET-CT: A Common Observation After Second Dose. JAMA Oncology, 2021 Aug 1; 7(8):1241-1242. 

Damsky W, Wang A, Young BD, Ayasun R, Ryu C, McGeary MK, Fazzone-Chettiar R, Pucar D, Gulati M, Miller EJ, Bosenberg M, Flavell RA, King B. Inhibition of type 1 immunity with tofacitinib is associated with marked improvement in longstanding sarcoidosis. Nature Commun. 2022 Jun 6;13(1):3140.

Morris MJ, Rowe SP, Gorin MA, Saperstein L and Condor Group (Yale Authors: Saperstein L (PI), Pucar D, Sprenkle P). Diagnostic Performance of 18F-DCFPyL-PET/CT in Men with Biochemically Recurrent Prostate Cancer: Results from the CONDOR Phase 3, Multicenter Study. Clin Cancer Res. 2021 Feb 23: clincanres.4573.2020. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-20-4573.

Pucar D, Hricak H, Shukla-Dave A, Kuroiwa K, Drobnjak M, Eastham J, Scardino PT, Zelefsky MJ. Clinically significant prostate cancer local recurrence following radiation therapy occurs at the site of primary tumor – magnetic resonance imaging and step-section pathology evidence. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2007; 69(1): 62-69.

Pucar D, Shukla-Dave A, Hricak H, Moskowitz C, Kuroiwa K, Olgac S, Ebora L, Scardino PT, Koutcher JA, Zakian KL. Correlation of MR imaging and spectroscopy with step section pathology in prostate cancer after external beam radiation therapy: initial experience. Radiology. 2005; 236: 545-553.

Zingman LV, Hodgson DM, Bast PH, Kane GC, Perez-Terzic C, Gumina RJ, Pucar D, Bienengraeber M, Dzeja PP, Miki T, Seino S, Alekseev AE, Terzic A. Kir6.2 is required for adaptation to stress. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2002; 99(20):13278-83.

Pucar D, Dzeja PP, Bast P, Juranic N, Macura S, Terzic A. Cellular energetics in the preconditioned state: protective role for phosphotransfer reactions captured by 18O-assisted 31P NMR. J Biol Chem. 2001; 276(48):44812-9.