David Wilson, MD, PhD

Professor, Associate Director Clinical Scientists T32 Training Program, Lead of Chemistry, Probes, and Molecular Therapy (CPMT)
+1 415 514-6229

David M. Wilson, M.D., Ph.D. received his B.S. degree from Harvard University in Biochemistry, and completed his M.D./Ph.D. training at Columbia University in New York City. His Ph.D. mentor was Dr. Ronald Breslow, a pioneer in artificial enzymes, the hydrophobic effect, and bio-organic chemistry. Dr. Wilson’s subsequent clinical training was in radiology and neuroradiology at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), where he trained further in the laboratory of Professor John Kurhanewicz and subsequently became a faculty member in 2010. He has since established a basic science laboratory investigating the detection and characterization of cancer via analyte sensing, and developing probes for positron emission tomography (PET) and hyperpolarized 13C spectroscopy. His laboratory has most recently studied imaging infection using bacteria-specific metabolic pathways, and ways to detect ACE2 suppression in SARS-CoV-2.

Dr. Wilson’s research interest is the development of new molecular probes for brain and tumor imaging. He is mainly interested in molecular imaging approaches where structural and biochemical insight is required. Recently, Dr. Wilson’s research consist of the development of new agents for hyperpolarized 13C spectroscopy, and his goal is to identify positron emission tomography (PET) that correlates for imaging in animal models.

Dr. Wilson is a physician-scientist dedicated to exploring a variety of metabolic and biochemical phenomena using new imaging techniques. His laboratory is currently focusing on comparing hyperpolarized (HP) 13C MRS and positron emission tomography (PET) in a variety of disease processes.

Expertise:
Neuroradiology

Specialty:
Positron emission tomography (PET)

Professional Interests:
Molecular imaging, MR spectroscopy, Redox chemistry, Vitamin C

Education and Training:
• Medical School: Columbia University, New York
• Internship: University of Hawaii Residency Program - Transitional Program
• Residency: University of California, San Francisco - Diagnostic Radiology
• Fellowship: University of California, San Francisco - Neuroradiology
• Doctor of Philosophy: Columbia University, New York

Honors and Awards
Resident/Fellowship Research Grant, Radiological Society of North America, 2009
Margulis Society Research Award, University of California, San Francisco, 2009
Resident Training Grant Award (NIBIB), National Institutes of Health, 2007
Spotnitz Award for Excellence in Research of Neoplastic Diseases, 2004
Magna Cum Laude, Biochemistry, Harvard University, 1996

Publications

Bacterial Imaging.

Imaging Infections

Alvaro A. Ordonez, Lauren E. Bambarger, Niren Murthy, David M. Wilson, Sanjay K. Jain