Prof. Dr. Bernd Pichler

Professor Bernd Pichler is director of the Werner Siemens Imaging Center and chair of the Department of Preclinical Imaging and Radiopharmacy, Clinic of Radiology, University of Tübingen, Germany. He studied electrical engineering with a focus on biomedical engineering and cybernetics at the Technical University of Munich. In 1997 he finished his diploma thesis at the Max-Planck-Institute for Physics, Munich and the Department of Nuclear Medicine, Technical University of Munich, in the field of detector development for small animal positron emission tomography. He earned his PhD in physics at the Department of Nuclear Medicine, Technical University of Munich, in 2002 and subsequently worked as Assistant Biomedical Research Engineer (Assistant Research Professor) in the laboratory of Professor Dr. Simon Cherry at the Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, USA, for two years. In 2005 Bernd Pichler became head of the Laboratory for Preclinical Imaging and Imaging Technology at the Department of Radiology, University of Tübingen, and received the venia legendi (habilitation in experimental radiology) from the Eberhard Karls University Tübingen in 2007. In December 2007, Bernd Pichler accepted the call of the University of Tübingen for a full (W3) professorship in “Preclinical Imaging and Imaging Technology”. In 2008 he became head of the Radiopharmacy and in 2011 both, the Laboratory for Preclinical Imaging of the Werner Siemens-Foundation and the Radiopharmacy joined, to become the Department of Preclinical Imaging and Radiopharmacy, with Professor Pichler as director and chair of the department.

Bernd Pichler was instrumental in developing APD-based PET detector technology that is the basis for subsequent developments towards integrated PET/MRI technology. Bernd Pichler and his team developed a dedicated PET insert for a 7T small animal MRT for simultaneous PET/MR imaging. His work focuses on interdisciplinary basic research in biomedicine with the use of state-of-the-art imaging technologies. This includes multi-modality imaging in oncology, immunology and neurology as well as the development of new imaging technologies and innovative imaging probes. In recent years, he has published widely on the preclinical as well as clinical implementation of PET/MR imaging.

Research Areas

Multimodal and Preclinical Imaging

• combined positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI)
• development of PET/MRI technology

Preclinical Imaging Science

• oncology and immunology, cell trafficking
• neurodegeneration and functional brain imaging
• infectious diseases and inflammation

Imaging biomarkers and software tools

• novel PET tracers for neurodegeneration (M. Alzheimer, M. Parkinson)
• novel PE tracers for oncology (senescence, antibody imaging, T cell markers for cell trafficking, etc.)
• image analysis software based on Machine Learning methods

Joint Research Projects

2014 – 2019
e:MED Consortial Grant “Multiscale HCC”, BMBF

2016 – 2023
Imaging Center Grant, Werner Siemens Foundation

2017 – 2020
Else-Kröner-Fresenius-Forschungskolleg “Therapieresistenz solider Tumore“

2013 – 2018
ERC Advanced Grant “IMAGELINK - Multiparametric tumor imaging and beyond: Towards understanding in vivo signals" (Multiparametrische Tumorbildgebung: Der Weg zum Verständnis von in vivo Signalen)

2015 – 2018
FOR 2314 „Targeting therapeutic windows in essential cellular processes for tumor therapy”, DFG
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