The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, welcomes Carolyn J. Anderson, an internationally recognized radiopharmaceutical researcher, as the UT-Oak Ridge National Laboratory Governor’s Chair for Nuclear Medicine: Radiopharmaceutical Therapies. In this role, Anderson will research the potential of ORNL-produced radioisotopes for cancer treatment and will translate new knowledge and discoveries into solutions, often in collaboration with colleagues at the UT Health Science Center.
The Governor’s Chair program aligns UT and ORNL investments to recruit world-class researchers and accelerate innovation in strategically important fields.
The UT–Oak Ridge Innovation Institute identified radiopharmaceutical therapies as a convergent research initiative in 2024. Backed by a $20 million five-year commitment, the initiative is designed to position Tennessee as a world-leading innovation hub for next-generation cancer treatment. Anderson’s expertise aligns with the initiative’s focus on targeted alpha-emitting radioisotopes, which can precisely kill cancer cells with minimal side effects compared to traditional treatment methods.
“Tennessee has some of the highest cancer rates in the country, and that’s why hiring exceptional faculty matters to our university and our state,” said Chancellor Donde Plowman. “By attracting world-class researchers with expertise in areas where we already have great strengths and capabilities, we can solve the problems that matter most to Tennesseans and people around the world.”