Wahl chosen as director of Mallinckrodt Institute

Richard L. Wahl, MD, will be taking over as head of radiology at Washington University School of Medicine and director of the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology this fall, the university announced Friday.

Wahl is considered one of the foremost luminaries in the industry and his research has played an important role in the development of radioimmunotherapy for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. His experience includes more than 400 peer-reviewed scientific articles and other publications and 18 patents in radiology.

“Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology has made many very important and influential contributions to the use of radiopharmaceuticals and cross-sectional imaging in modern medicine,” Wahl said. “I’m eager to return to St. Louis to help the faculty and staff continue to provide top-notch clinical care and education and to expand the frontiers of research.”

Currently, Wahl serves as the Henry N. Wagner Jr., MD, professor and director of nuclear medicine at Johns Hopkins University. He is expected to take over his new post in October. He also works with the Radiological Society of North America and more specifically for the Quantitative Imaging Biomarker Alliance Projects, which aim to improve imaging standardization.

“Richard is a 1978 graduate and former resident and fellow of the [Washington University] School of Medicine who has gone on to do groundbreaking work in developing specially targeted radiopharmaceuticals for diagnosing and treating cancer,” said Larry J. Shapiro, MD, executive vice chancellor and dean of the medical school. “He is a leader in the field, and we are very pleased to welcome him back as the department’s new director.”

Wahl will be taking over for R. Gilbert Jost, MD, who has led Mallinckrodt for 15 years.