Michelle James, PhD

The image features Michelle James, PhD, who is smiling. She has short, dark hair and is wearing a black collared shirt.

Dr. James is a world-renowned expert in molecular imaging with over 20 years of experience in radiochemistry and developing novel positron emission tomography (PET) tracers for imaging innate and adaptive immune responses in the context of neurological diseases. Currently, she is pioneering clinical PET/MR imaging methods to investigate whole body inflammation in patients with ME/CFS, using an inflammation-targeting tracer she developed.

She is an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Radiology and Neurology, within the Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS). She received her BS in pharmacology and organic chemistry at the University of Sydney, where she also earned her PhD in pharmacology and was awarded the University Medal. Dr. James has multiple patented radiotracers, four of which are currently being used in clinical neuroimaging research studies at Stanford and around the world. The overall goal of her work is to create imaging tools to uncover the molecular underpinnings of chronic illnesses and facilitate the development and optimization of effective treatment strategies for such diseases.



Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME / CFS) Post Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS), Fibromyalgia Leading Research. Delivering Hope.Open Medicine Foundation®

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