Michel Matthew Ter-Pogossian (April 21, 1925June 19, 1996) was an American

medical physicist A medical physicist is a health professional with specialist education and training in the concepts and techniques of applying physics in medicine and competent to practice independently in one or more of the subfields (specialties) of medical physi ...

. He was professor of

radiology Radiology ( ) is the medical discipline that uses medical imaging to diagnose diseases and guide their treatment, within the bodies of humans and other animals. It began with radiography (which is why its name has a root referring to radiat ...

at the

Washington University School of Medicine Washington University School of Medicine (WUSM) is the medical school of Washington University in St. Louis in St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1891, the School of Medicine has 1,260 students, 604 of which are pursuing a medical degree with or ...

for over 30 years. A pioneer in

nuclear medicine Nuclear medicine or nucleology is a medical specialty involving the application of radioactive substances in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Nuclear imaging, in a sense, is "radiology done inside out" because it records radiation emitting ...

, he is best known for his research on the

positron emission tomography Positron emission tomography (PET) is a functional imaging technique that uses radioactive substances known as radiotracers to visualize and measure changes in Metabolism, metabolic processes, and in other physiological activities including bl ...

(PET). He is considered one of its creators and often referred to as the "father of PET."

Early life

Ter-Pogossian was born on April 21, 1925 in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...

parents from the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

that escaped the

Armenian genocide The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was ...

. He was the only child. His family later moved to France, where Ter-Pogossian grew up. He developed an early interest in science and experimented with toy physics and chemistry kits as a child. Ter-Pogossian attended the

University of Paris , image_name = Coat of arms of the University of Paris.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of Arms , latin_name = Universitas magistrorum et scholarium Parisiensis , motto = ''Hic et ubique terrarum'' (Latin) , mottoeng = Here and a ...

, from which he received his bachelor's degree in mathematics in 1942 or 1943. He subsequently studied at the Institute of Radium under

Irène Joliot-Curie Irène Joliot-Curie (; ; 12 September 1897 – 17 March 1956) was a French chemist, physicist and politician, the elder daughter of Pierre and Marie Curie, and the wife of Frédéric Joliot-Curie. Jointly with her husband, Joliot-Curie was award ...

, graduating in 1946. He was active in the

French Resistance The French Resistance (french: La Résistance) was a collection of organisations that fought the German occupation of France during World War II, Nazi occupation of France and the Collaborationism, collaborationist Vichy France, Vichy régim ...

during World War II.

Career

Ter-Pogossian moved to the United States in 1946 to complete his studies. He preferred the US over Britain because the former seemed "more exciting." He enrolled at

Washington University Washington University in St. Louis (WashU or WUSTL) is a private research university with its main campus in St. Louis County, and Clayton, Missouri. Founded in 1853, the university is named after George Washington. Washington University is r ...

St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

as a graduate student in 1946. He was drawn to the university by and studied under

Arthur Compton Arthur Holly Compton (September 10, 1892 – March 15, 1962) was an American physicist who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1927 for his 1923 discovery of the Compton effect, which demonstrated the particle nature of electromagnetic radia ...

, who was also the university's chancellor at the time. He simultaneously worked in the physics department as a

research assistant A research assistant (RA) is a researcher employed, often on a temporary contract, by a university, a research institute or a privately held organization, for the purpose of assisting in academic or private research. Research assistants are not in ...

. Ter-Pogossian received his master's degree in 1948, and his Ph.D. in

nuclear physics Nuclear physics is the field of physics that studies atomic nuclei and their constituents and interactions, in addition to the study of other forms of nuclear matter. Nuclear physics should not be confused with atomic physics, which studies the ...

from Washington University in 1950. He joined the

Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology The Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology (MIR), established 1931, is an academic radiology center associated with the Washington University School of Medicine, located within the Washington University Medical Center in St. Louis, Missouri. In additi ...

at Washington University in 1950. In the same year he also joined the faculty of

as an Instructor in Radiation Physics. He was named professor of radiation physics in 1961, Professor of Biophysics in Physiology in 1964, and Professor of Radiation Sciences in 1973. Between 1963 and 1991 Ter-Pogossian served as Director of the Division of Radiation Sciences at the Mallinckrodt Institute. After resigning from administrative duties in 1990, Ter-Pogossian devoted all his time to research. He was a self-proclaimed "research junkie". He became emeritus professor in 1995.

Work

Ter-Pogossian spent his entire professional career at Washington University's Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology. His research focused on "increasing the number of practical clinical applications of cerebral scanning." His work resulted in improvement of

medical imaging Medical imaging is the technique and process of imaging the interior of a body for clinical analysis and medical intervention, as well as visual representation of the function of some organs or tissues (physiology). Medical imaging seeks to rev ...

radiation therapy Radiation therapy or radiotherapy, often abbreviated RT, RTx, or XRT, is a therapy using ionizing radiation, generally provided as part of cancer treatment to control or kill malignant cells and normally delivered by a linear accelerator. Radia ...

, and

brachytherapy Brachytherapy is a form of radiation therapy where a sealed radiation source is placed inside or next to the area requiring treatment. ''Brachy'' is Greek for short. Brachytherapy is commonly used as an effective treatment for cervical, prosta ...

. He developed a new type of nuclear medicine

gamma camera A gamma camera (γ-camera), also called a scintillation camera or Anger camera, is a device used to image gamma radiation emitting radioisotopes, a technique known as scintigraphy. The applications of scintigraphy include early drug development ...

, known as the "Ter-Pogossian camera." In 1951 Ter-Pogossian developed a pioneering scanner that detected radioactivity concentrations in living material. In the mid-1950s he "reported the first biomedical application of a sodium iodide detector for the diagnosis and localization of intracranial tumors."

Positron emission tomography (PET)

Ter-Pogossian was a pioneer in the use of cyclotron-produced

radioactive tracer A radioactive tracer, radiotracer, or radioactive label is a chemical compound in which one or more atoms have been replaced by a radionuclide so by virtue of its radioactive decay it can be used to explore the mechanism of chemical reactions by ...

s. He is best known for his work on the

(PET). His research began in the 1950s with a series of experiments that made PET a "practical diagnostic tool" by the 1970s. His early work led to the installation of a small biomedical cyclotron in the basement at the

Washington University Medical Center The Washington University Medical Center (WUMC), located in St. Louis, Missouri, is a large scale health-care focused commercial development located in St. Louis' Central West End neighborhood. The Washington University Medical Center Redevelopme ...

in 1963. He persuaded several government agencies to support the research. It was the first cyclotron in the US located in a medical center. The cyclotron produced short-lived, positron-emitting

radionuclide A radionuclide (radioactive nuclide, radioisotope or radioactive isotope) is a nuclide that has excess nuclear energy, making it unstable. This excess energy can be used in one of three ways: emitted from the nucleus as gamma radiation; transfer ...

s intended to be used to develop techniques for measuring regional cerebral blood flow, oxygen metabolism, blood volume, and glucose metabolism. The first PET unit was created in 1974 by the group led by Ter-Pogossian. A decade later, PET units of that design were "used in many medical centers throughout the world." Ter-Pogossian is recognized to have "led the research that turned the positron emission tomography (PET) scanner from an intriguing concept to a medical tool used in hospitals and laboratories everywhere." With

Edward J. Hoffman Edward Joseph Hoffman (January 1, 1942 – July 1, 2004) helped invent the first human PET scanner, a commonly used whole-body scanning procedure for detecting diseases like cancer. Hoffman, with Michel Ter-Pogossian and Michael E. Phelps, dev ...

and

Michael E. Phelps Michael Edward Phelps (born August 24, 1939) is a professor and an American biophysicist. He is known for being one of the fathers of positron emission tomography (PET). Biography Phelps was born in 1939 in Cleveland, Ohio. He spent his early lif ...

"he played a major role turning positron imaging from a laboratory concept into practical imaging protocols and devices that are currently used worldwide."

Personal life and death

Ter-Pogossian married visual artist Ann Dodson (née Scott), of

, in 1966. Ann (1932–2022) had a Master's Degree in

Egyptology Egyptology (from ''Egypt'' and Greek , '' -logia''; ar, علم المصريات) is the study of ancient Egyptian history, language, literature, religion, architecture and art from the 5th millennium BC until the end of its native religious ...

and participated in exhibitions from 1973 to 2003, including the prestigious

Florence Biennale The Biennale Internazionale Dell’Arte Contemporanea, also known as the Florence Biennale is an art exhibition held in Florence, Italy. Since 1997 it has been held every two years in the exhibition spaces of the Fortezza da Basso, Florence. The li ...

. After her marriage to Michel, she signed her work and exhibited under the name Ann Ter-Pogossian. Ann had two sons and a daughter by her first marriage. The Ter-Pogossians were residents of

Clayton, Missouri Clayton is a city in and the seat of St. Louis County, Missouri. It borders the independent city of St. Louis. The population was 17,355 at the 2020 census. Organized in 1877, the city was named after Ralph Clayton, who donated the land for the ...

. Ter-Pogossian was described by Ronald G. Evens as a "citizen of the world." He traveled extensively and was a

gourmet Gourmet (, ) is a cultural idea associated with the culinary arts of fine food and drink, or haute cuisine, which is characterized by refined, even elaborate preparations and presentations of aesthetically balanced meals of several contrasting, of ...

and a

scuba diver Scuba diving is a mode of underwater diving whereby divers use breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface air supply. The name "scuba", an acronym for "Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus", was coined by Chris ...

. He died on June 19, 1996 of apparent

myocardial infarction A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may ...

in Paris, while on a vacation.

Recognition

Ter-Pogossian was an "internationally known pioneer in the use of cyclotron-produced radionuclides in biomedical research."

Frans Wackers Frans Josef Thomas Wackers (born 1939, Echt, Netherlands) is a medical doctor and research scientist in the field of Nuclear medicine, nuclear cardiology. Education and positions held *Doctor of Medicine, M.D., Doctor of Philosophy, Ph.D., Univer ...

noted that he is "widely recognized as one of the fathers of PET imaging." He has been called "the father of PET" by some. Ter-Pogossian emphasized that PET is the product of teamwork and elaborated:

Awards

*Paul C. Aebersold Award,

Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI), formerly the Society of Nuclear Medicine, is a nonprofit scientific and professional organization that promotes the science, technology and practical application of nuclear medicine a ...

(1976) *Georg Charles de Hevesy Nuclear Medicine Pioneer Award,

(1985) *

Canada Gairdner International Award The Canada Gairdner International Award is given annually by the Gairdner Foundation at a special dinner to five individuals for outstanding discoveries or contributions to medical science. Receipt of the Gairdner is traditionally considered a p ...

(1993) "For contributions to the development and application of positron emission tomography"

Membership

Ter-Pogossian was a member of many professional societies: charter member of the

American Nuclear Society The American Nuclear Society (ANS) is an international, not-for-profit organization of scientists, engineers, and industry professionals that promote the field of nuclear engineering and related disciplines. ANS is composed of three communities ...

, fellow of the

American Physical Society The American Physical Society (APS) is a not-for-profit membership organization of professionals in physics and related disciplines, comprising nearly fifty divisions, sections, and other units. Its mission is the advancement and diffusion of k ...

, honorary fellow of the

American College of Radiology The American College of Radiology (ACR), founded in 1923, is a professional medical society representing nearly 40,000 diagnostic radiologists, radiation oncologists, interventional radiologists, nuclear medicine physicians and medical physicists. ...

Institute of Medicine The National Academy of Medicine (NAM), formerly called the Institute of Medicine (IoM) until 2015, is an American nonprofit, non-governmental organization. The National Academy of Medicine is a part of the National Academies of Sciences, E ...

(elected in 1987). He was a trustee of the

Academy of Science, St. Louis The Academy of Science, St. Louis (sometimes rendered as Academy of Science - St. Louis) is a non-profit organization in St. Louis, Missouri, dedicated to science literacy and education. Founded in 1856 by a group of scientists and businessmen, i ...

and served as an adviser to several

Department of Energy A Ministry of Energy or Department of Energy is a government department in some countries that typically oversees the production of fuel and electricity; in the United States, however, it manages nuclear weapons development and conducts energy-rel ...

National Institutes of Health The National Institutes of Health, commonly referred to as NIH (with each letter pronounced individually), is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and public health research. It was founded in the late ...

and

Food and Drug Administration The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is respon ...

committees. He served on the editorial boards of several journals, including the ''

American Journal of Roentgenology The American Journal of Roentgenology (''AJR'') is a monthly peer-reviewed journal that covers topics in radiology. It is published by the American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS) and is based in Leesburg, VA. The current editor-in-chief (August 2020 ...

'', the ''

Journal of Nuclear Medicine ''The Journal of Nuclear Medicine'' is a monthly peer-reviewed medical journal published by Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging that covers research on all aspects of nuclear medicine, including molecular imaging. Abstracting and in ...

'', and the ''Journal de Biophysique & Médecine Nucléaire''. He was the first editor of the ''IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging'', published by the

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is a 501(c)(3) professional association for electronic engineering and electrical engineering (and associated disciplines) with its corporate office in New York City and its operation ...

References

;Notes ;Citations {{DEFAULTSORT:Ter-Pergossian, Michel 1925 births 1996 deaths 20th-century American inventors American people of Armenian descent 20th-century American physicists Businesspeople from Berlin French emigrants to the United States Washington University in St. Louis faculty Scientists from St. Louis Physicists from Missouri Washington University physicists Members of the National Academy of Medicine Fellows of the American Physical Society