Richard L. Wahl, MD

Professor of Radiology

Professor of Radiation Oncology

Clinical Expertise:

Nuclear Medicine

Research Centers:

Precision Radiotheranostics Translation Center

Lab:

Wahl Lab

Richard L. Wahl, MD, is a professor at Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology (MIR) at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and served as the director of MIR from 2014 to 2023. An alumnus, Wahl completed a diagnostic radiology residency and nuclear medicine fellowship at MIR. Prior to being named director at MIR, he was director of the Division of Nuclear Medicine at Johns Hopkins University and the first recipient of the Henry N. Wagner Jr. Professorship.

Wahl is a leader in the use of PET scans to diagnose human cancers and other diseases and was among the first to harness the power of the immune system to precisely target radiation therapy to cancers, a technique that has become known as radioimmunotherapy. He has been at the forefront of efforts to combine quantitative data from multiple kinds of scans to form so-called fusion images that can help physicians more precisely diagnose and characterize cancers.

Wahl has received numerous awards, including the 2018 Georg Charles de Hevesy Award from the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, where he served as president. He is an elected member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation, the American Association of Physicians and the National Academy of Medicine. A fellow of the American College of Radiology, Wahl holds 18 radiology patents and has published more than 450 peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts. He completed a research fellowship in immunology and earned his medical degree from the School of Medicine.

Clinical Interests

PET/CT imaging, radiopharmaceutical therapies, nuclear imaging

Research Interests

Quantitative imaging, radioimmunotherapy, imaging the immune system, multi-modality imaging

Link to Publications

View all publications

Education History

Fellowship

Nuclear Medicine, Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis; Immunology Research Fellow, Howard Hughes Medical Institute; Immunology Research Fellow, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis

Residency

Diagnostic Radiology, Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis

Medical Degree

Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis

Undergraduate

Wartburg College

Associations

2021-2022 President, Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
American Association for Cancer Research
American Association of Physicians
American Board of Nuclear Medicine
American College of Nuclear Physicians
American College of Radiology
American Federation for Clinical Research
American Medical Association
American Roentgen Ray Society
American Society for Clinical Investigation
Central Society for Clinical Research
Institute of Clinical PET
Maryland Radiological Society
Michigan Radiological Society
National Academy of Medicine
Radiological Society of North America
Society of Nuclear Medicine, Central Chapter

Awards

2024 Minoshima-Pappas Transformational Leadership Award, Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
2023 Alumni Achievement Award, Washington University Medical Center Alumni Association
2018 Georg Charles de Hevesy Award, Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
2018 Saul Hertz Lifetime Achievement Award, Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
2015 Member, National Academy of Medicine
2008 Honorary Doctorate of Science, Wartburg College
2007 International Award for Excellence in Published Clinical Research, Endocrine Society and Pfizer Award
2005 Most Influential Radiology Researcher, Aunt Minnie Award
2001 Distinguished Scientist, Academy of Molecular Imaging
1996 Fellow, American College Nuclear Physicians
1995 Distinguished Alumnus Award, Wartburg College
1986 Marc Tetalman Memorial Award, Society of Nuclear Medicine
America’s Top Doctors, Castle Connolly