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Michael Welch

Titles: 
Professor of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine
Titles: 
Professor, Department of Chemistry
Titles: 
Professor of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine
Titles: 
Professor, Biomedical Engineering

Office Contact Information

Degrees: 
Ph.D. Degree Chemistry University of London, England, 1965
Degrees: 
M.A. Degree in Natural Sciences Cambridge University, England, 1964
Degrees: 
B.A. Degree in Natural Sciences Cambridge University, England, 1961
Office: 
Clinical Sciences Research Building
Mailbox: 

Campus Box 8225

Phone: 
(314) 362-8436
Fax: 
(314) 362-8339
Email: 
welchm@mir.wustl.edu

Research specialization

Research

Our research interests focus on the development and evaluation of radiolabeled agents for imaging and diagnosis. The breadth of the research include the development of techniques for production of radionuclides utilizing biomedical cyclotrons. For example, targetry has been developed to produce 64Cu by the nickel and 64NI (p,n) 64Cu nuclear reaction.

Inorganic Radiopharmaceuticals. Studies have been carried out to develop radiopharmaceuticals labeled with inorganic radionuclides including 64Cu. The thiosemicarbazones Cu-ATSM and Cu PTSM differ in one electron reduction potential by 89 mV. Cu-PTSM is trapped in all tissues and measures blood flow, while Cu-ATSM is only trapped in hypoxic tissue and so can quantify tissue in hypoxia. It is being used in patient studies evaluating hypoxia in the brain, heart and tumors.

Organic Radiopharmaceuticals. We have had a long time collaboration with Professor John A. Katzenellenbogen of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Illinois and the development of radiolabeled steroids for imaging steroid hormone receptors. These include agents for the estrogen and androgen receptors. FDHT, a ligand for the androgen receptor, has been used to image the blocking of androgen receptor after treatment with the anti-androgen flutamide. This study can be utilized to determine early in the course of treatment the ultimate efficacy of the therapy.

Centers

Center for Materials Innovation (CMI)
International Center for Advanced Renewable Energy and Sustainability (I-CARES)
Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences (DBBS)
Siteman Cancer Center
Imaging Sciences Pathways

Awards & Honors: 
Open Scholarship to St. Catharines College
Cambridge University, England: 1958 1961
Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science
Visiting Scholar: 1980.
American Chemical Society
St. Louis Award, For outstanding contributions to the chemical profession: 1988
National Award for Nuclear Chemistry, For contributions in Fundamental and Applied Nuclear Chemistry: 1990
Midwest Award, For outstanding achievements by a chemist in the Midwest Region: 1991
Society of Nuclear Medicine
Paul C. Aebersold Award, For outstanding achievement in Basic Science Applied to Nuclear Medicine: 1980
Berson-Yalow Award, For an outstanding contribution using the principle of Radioimmunoassay: 1988
Berson Yalow Award, For an outstanding contribution using the principle of Radioimmunoassay: 1990
Georg Charles de Hevesy Nuclear Medicine Pioneer Award, For distinguished contributions to Nuclear Medicine: 1992
Cassen Prize: 2004
The Institute of Medicine
Elected Member: 1999
American College of Radiology
Honorary Fellow: 2004
International Isotope Society
Melvin Calvin Award, For outstanding contributions to the field of isotopes: 2006
Society of Molecular Imaging
Molecular Imaging Acheivement Award, 2007
Society of Nuclear Medicine
Michael J. Welch Award-In recognition of his outstanding contributions to the field of Radiopharmaceutical Chemistry, 2008
Academy of Molecular Imaging
AMI Distinguished Basic Scientist recipient, 2008
Washington University School of Medicine
Second Century Award, 2008
Radiological Society of North America
Eugene P. Prendegrass New Horizons Lecturer 2008 (Nanotechnology in the future of imaging: Prospects and pitfalls)
Appointments
9/62 - 8/65Graduate Student
Queen Mary College
Department of Chemistry
University of London
London, England
9/65 - 9/67Research Associate
Brookhaven National Laboratory
Upton, New York
9/67 - 7/70Assistant Professor of Radiation Chemistry
The Edward Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology
Washington University School of Medicine
St. Louis, Missouri
9/69 - 1/71Assistant Professor of Chemistry
Department of Chemistry
Washington University
St. Louis, Missouri
7/70 - 7/74Associate Professor of Radiation Chemistry
The Edward Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology
Washington University School of Medicine
St. Louis, Missouri
7/71 - 7/75Associate Professor of Chemistry
Department of Chemistry
Washington University
St. Louis, Missouri
7/75 - 7/78Adjunct Professor
Department of Chemistry
Washington University
St. Louis, Missouri
7/74 - 1991Professor of Radiation Chemistry
The Edward Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology
Washington University School of Medicine
St. Louis, Missouri
7/78 - presentProfessor of Chemistry
Department of Chemistry
Washington University
St. Louis, Missouri
7/90 - 12/94Co-Director, Division of Radiation Sciences
The Edward Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology
Washington University School of Medicine
St. Louis, Missouri
7/91 - presentProfessor of Radiology
The Edward Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology
Washington University School of Medicine
St. Louis, Missouri
1/93 - presentProfessor of Molecular Biology and Pharmacology
Department of Molecular Biology and Pharmacology
Washington University School of Medicine
St. Louis, Missouri
12/94 - 06/07Co-Director, Division of Radiological Sciences
The Edward Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology
Washington University School of Medicine
St. Louis, Missouri
06/00 - presentProfessor of Biomedical Engineering
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Washington University in St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri

Publications

Zhou, D., Carlson, K.E., Katzenellenbogen, J.A. and Welch, M.J. Bromine- and iodine-substituted 16-, 17-dioxolane progestins for breast tumor imaging and radiotherapy: synthesis and receptor binding affinity. J Med Chem 49:4737-4744, 2006.

Lee, H., Finck, B.N., Jones, L.A., Welch, M.J. and Mach, R.H. Synthesis and evaluation of a bromine-76-labeled PPAR antagonist 2-bromo-5nitro-N-phenylbenzamide. Nucl Med Biol 33:847-854, 2006.

Zhou, D., Chu, W., Rothfuss, J., Zeng, C., Xu, Z., Jones, L., Welch, M.J. and Mach, R.H. Synthesis, radiolabeling, and in vivo evaluation of an 18F-labeled isatin analog for imaging caspase-3 activation in apaptosis. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 16:5041-5046, 2006.

Bigott, H.M., Laforest, R., Liu, X., Ruangma, A., Wuest, F. and Welch, M.J. Advances in the production, processing and microPET image quality of technetium-94m. Nucl Med Biol 33:923-933, 2006.

Parent, E.E., Jenks, C., Sharp, T., Welch, M.J. and Katenellenbogen, J.A. Synthesis and biological evaluation of a nonsteroidal bromine-76-labeled androgen receptor ligand 3-[76Br]bromo-hydroxyflutamide. Nucl Med Biol 33:705-713, 2006.

Wei, L. Butcher, C., Miato, Y., Gatlazzi, F., Quinn, T.P., Welch, M.J. and Lewis, J.S. Synthesis and biologic evaluation of 64Cu-lableled rhenium-cyclized a-MSH peptide analog using a cross-bridged cyclam chelator. J Nucl Med 48:64-72, 2007.

Parent, E.E., Dence, C.S., Jenks, C., Sharp, T.L., Welch, M.J. and Katzenellenbogen, J.A. Synthesis and biological evaluation of [18F]bicalutamide, 4-[76Br]bromobicalutamide, and 4-[76Br]bromo-thiobicalutamide as non-steroidal androgens for prostate cancer imaging. J Med Chem 50:1028-1040, 2007.

Ponde, D.E., Dence, C.S., Oyama, N., Kim, J., Tai, Y., Laforest, R., Siegel, B.A. and Welch, M.J. 18F-fluoroacetate: a potential acetate analog for prostate tumor imaging---in vivo evaluation of 18F-fluoroacetate versus 11C-acetate. J Nucl Med 48:420-428, 2007.

Su, Y., Welch, M.J. and Shoghi, K.I. The application of maximum likelihood factor analysis (MLFA) with uniqueness constraints on dynamic cardiac microPET data. Phys Med Biol 52:2313-2334, 2007.

Xu, J., Sun, G., Rossin, R., Hagooly, A., Li, Z., Fukukawa, K., Messmore, B.W., Moore, D.A., Welch, M.J., Hawker, C.J. and Wooley, K.L. Labeling of polymer nanostructures for medical imaging: importance of cross-linking extent, spacer length, and charge density. Macromolecules 40:2971-2973, 2007.

Seo, J.W., Chi, D.Y., Dence, C.S., Welch, M.J. and Katzenellenbogen, J.A. Synthesis and biodistribution of fluoride-18-labeled fluorocyclofenils for imaging the estrogen receptor. Nucl Med Biol 34:383-390, 2007.

Grigsby, P.W., Malyapa, R.S., Higashikubo, R., Schwarz, J.K., Welch, M.J., Huettner, P.C. and Dehdashti, F. Comparison of molecular markers of hypoxia and imaging with 60Cu-ATSM in cancer of the uterine cervix. Mol Imaging Biol 9:278-283, 2007.

Pressly, E.D., Rossin, R., Hagooly, A., Fukukawa, K., Messmore, B.W., Welch, M.J., Wolley, K.L., Lamm, M.S., Hule, R.A., Pochan, D.J. and Hawker, C.J. Structural effects on the biodistribution and positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of well-defiined 64Cu-labeled nanoparticles comprised of amphiphilic block graft copolymers. Biomacromolecules 8:3126-3134, 2007.

Shoghi, K.I. and Welch, M.J. Hybrid image and blood sampling input function for quantification of small animal dynamic PET data. Nucl Med Biol 34:989-994, 2007.

Burkhart, E.M., Sambandam, N., Han, X., Gross, R.W., Courtois, M., Gierasch, C.M., Shoghi, K., Welch, M.J. and Kelly, D.P. Nuclear receptors PPAR and PPAR direct distinct metabolic regulatory programs in the mouse heart. J Clin Invest 117(12):3930-3939, 2007.

Rossin, R., Berndorff, D., Friebe, M., Dinkelborg, L.M. and Welch, M.J. Small-animal PET of tumor angiogenisis usinig a 76Br-labeled human recombinant antibody fragment to the ED-B domain of fibronectin. J Nucl Med 48:1172-1179, 2007.

Wei, L., Miao, Y., Gallazzi, F., Quinn, T.P., Welch, M.J., Vavere, A.L. and Lewis, J.S. Gallium-68 labeled DOTA-rhenium-cyclized -melanocyte-stimulating hormone analog for imaging of malignant melanoma. Nucl Med Biol 34:945-953, 2007.

Dehdashti, F., Grigsby, P.W., Lewis, J.S., Laforest, R., Siegel, B.A. and Welch, M.J. Assessing tumor hypoxia in cervical cancer by PET with 60Cu-labeled diacetyl-bis(N4-methylthiosemicarbazone) J Nucl Med 49:201-205, 2008.

Fukukawa, K., Rossin, R., Hagooley, A., Pressly, ED., Hunt, J.N., Messmore, B.W., Wooley, K.L., Welch, M.J. and Hawker, C.J. Synthesis and Characterization of core-shell star copolymers for in vivo PET imaging applications. Biomacromolecules. 9(4):1329-39, 2008.

Rossin, R., Muro, S., Welch, M.J., Muzykantov, V.R. and Schuster, D.P. In vivo imaging of 64Cu-labeled polymer nanoparticles targeted to the lung endothelium. J. Nucl.Med. 49:103-111,(2008).

Dietz, D.W., Dehdashti, F.,Grigsby, P.W., Malyapa, R.S., Myerson, R.J., Picus, J., Ritter, J., Lewis, J.S., Welch, M.J., Siegel, B.A. Tumor Hypoxia Detected by Positron Emission Tomography with 60Cu-ATSM as Predictor of Response and Survival in Patients Undergoing Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy for Rectal Carcinoma. Diseases of the Colon & Rectum Vol 0:1-8, 2008.

Zhou, D., Sharp, T.L., Fettig, N.M., Lee, H., Lewis, J.S., Katzenellenbogen, J.A. and Welch, M.J. Evaluation of a bromine-76-labeled progestin 16, 17-dioxolane for breast tumor imaging and radiotherapy: in vivo biodistribution and metabolic stability studies. Nucl Med Biol 35:655-663, 2008.

Dence, C.S., Ponde, D.E., Welch, M.J. and Lewis, J.S. Autoradiographic and small-animal PET comparisons between 18F-FMISO, 18F-FDG, 18F-FLT and the hypoxic selective 64Cu-ATSM in a rodent model of cancer. Nucl Med Biol. 2008; 35(6):713-20.

Lewis, J.S., Laforest, R., Dehdashti, F., Grisgby, P.W., Welch, M.J. and Siegel, B.A. An Imaging Comparison of 64Cu-ATSM and 60Cu-ATSM in Cancer of the Uterine Cervix. J Nucl Med Vol 49 No. 7 1177-1182, 2008.

Hagooly, Y., Sasson, R., Welch, M.J. and Rozen, S. Preparation of Alkyl and Aryl Chlorodiflouromethyl Ethers Using BrF3. Eur. J. Org. Chem. 2008, 2875-2880.

Zhang, K., Rossin, R., Hagooly, A., Chen, Z., Welch, M.J. and Wooley, K. Folate-Mediated Cell Uptake of Shell Crosslinked Spheres and Cylinders. J Polymer Sci 46:7578-7583, 2008.

Parent, E.E., Dence, C.S., Sharp, T.L., Welch, M.J., Katzenellenbogen, J.A. 7-18F-Flouremethyl-Dihydrotestosterone and 7-18F-Flouromethyl-Nortestosterone: Ligands to Determine the Role of Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin for Steroidal Radiopharmaceuticals. J Nucl Med 2008; 49:987-994.

Shoghi, K.I., Gropler, R.J., Sharp, T., Herrero, P., Fettig, N., Su, Y., Mitra, J.S., Kovacs, A., Finck, B.N., and Welch, M.J. Time Course of Alterations in Myocardial Glucose Utilization in the Zucker Diabetic Fatty Rat with Correlation to Gene Expression of Glucose Transporters: A Small-Animal PET investigation. J Nucl Med Vol. 49:8, 2008.

Almutairia, A., Rossinb, R., Shokeen, M., Hagooly, A., Ananth, A., Capoccia, B., Guillaudeua, S., Abendschein, D., Anderson, C.J., Welch, M.J. and Frechet, J.M.J. Biodegradable dendritic positron- emitting nanoprobes for the noninvasive imaging of angiogenesis. National Academy of Science 106: 685-690, 2009.