Gambhir was born in Ambala, India and moved to the US with his parents and sister in 1969. He was raised in Phoenix, Arizona. He is married to Aruna Bodapati Gambhir and lives in the Bay Area. His son, Milan Gambhir, was born in 1998 and passed away from a glioblastoma. in 2015.
Education and employment
Gambhir is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Arizona State University where he received his BS in Physics. He then entered the combined M.D-Ph.D. Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and received his MD, and his PhD in biomathematics. In 1990 he received the highest honor given to a UCLA graduate student, the outstanding graduate student award gold medal award.
His first academic appointment was in 1994, at UCLA, as an Assistant Professor of Molecular & Medical Pharmacology. He was a Clinical Attending in the Nuclear Medicine Department at the Center for Health Sciences at UCLA starting in 1997. He was appointed tenure Professorship at UCLA in 2003. In 2003, he moved to Stanford University and was appointed Professor of Radiology, Head of Nuclear Medicine, Director of the Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS), and Member of the Bio-X Program. He became the Virginia and D.K. Ludwig Professor for Clinical Investigation in Cancer Research, which is an Endowed Professorship in 2009. He was appointed the Chair of Radiology in August 2011, and currently holds this position.
Honors and awards
Gambhir has many honors and awards. In the last decade he has received the following: Taplin Award, Holst Medal, Academy of Molecular Imaging (AMI) Distinguished Basic Scientist of the Year Award, Society for Molecular Imaging (SMI) Achievement Award, Distinguished Clinical Scientist Award from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Hounsfield Medal (Imperial College London), Fellowship of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), Paul C. Aebersold Award, Organizer and Co-Chair for the Nobel Symposium in Imaging (2008), Inducted as a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI), Tesla Medal, Elected to the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the US National Academies, Parmley Prize, Radiological Society of North American (RSNA) Outstanding Researcher Award, The Gopal Subramanian Lifetime Achievement Award, the George Charles de Hevesy Nuclear Pioneer Award, Aunt Minnie Award, Distinguished Scientist Award for Distinguished Contributions to Nuclear Medicine, Society of Asian American Scientists in Cancer Research Award, the American Association of Indian Scientists in Cancer Research Lifetime Achievement Award, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellow Award., J. Allyn Taylor International Prize in Medicine, National Academy of Inventors and American Association for the Advancement of Science.
His research focuses on the development of imaging assays to monitor fundamental cellular/molecular events in living subjects with an emphasis on the detection and management of cancer. A particular interest of his research and lab is early cancer detection including combining in vivo and in vitro diagnostics.
Practice of Nuclear Medicine with an emphasis on PET-CT imaging of cancer.
PET reporter gene technology, multimodality reporter genes, imaging of gene/cell therapies, imaging of the immune system, imaging of intracellular events in living subjects (e.g., protein-protein interactions), bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) in living subjects, nanoparticle based imaging, Raman imaging in vivo and photoacoustic molecular imaging with novel imaging agents in living subjects. Decision Management Models for the use of FDG PET in cancer.
Gambhir has published over 600 publications in peer reviewed journals, has authored and co-authored several textbooks and holds 42 patents that are issued or filed.
Hori, S.S.; A.M. Lutz; R. Paulmurugan; S.S. Gambhir. A Model-Based Personalized Cancer Screening Strategy for Early Detection. (March 2017) Nature Biomedical Engineering. 1(0062): 1-3.
Keu K.V.; Witney T.H.; Yaghoubi S.; Rosenberg J.; Kurien A.; Magnusson R.; Williams J.; Habte F.; Wagner j.R.; Forman S.; Brown C.; Allen-Auerbach M.; Czernin J.; Tang W.; Jensen M.C.; Badie B.; Gambhir S.S. (January 2017)Reporter gene imaging of targeted T cell immunotherapy in recurrent glioma. Sci. Transl. Med. 9, eaag2196.
Park S-M.; Wong D.J.; Ooi C.; Kurtz D.M.;, Vermesh O.; Aailpour A.; Suh S.; Pian K.L.; Chabon J.J.; Lee S.H.; Jamali M.; Say C.; Carter J.N.; Lee L.P.; Kuschner W.G.; Schwartz E.J.; Shrager J.B.; Neal J.W.; Wakelle H.A.; Diehn M.; Nair V.S.; Wang S.X. and Gambhir S.S. (Dec. 2016, early ed.). Molecular profiling of single circulating tumor cells from lung cancer patients. PNAS.
Weissleder R, Schwaiger MC, Gambhir SS, Hricak H. (Dec. 2016). "[Imaging approaches to optimize molecular therapies]" (PDF). Sci Transl Med. 8: 355ps16. PMID 27605550. doi:10.1126/scitranslmed.aaf3936. CS1 maint: Multiple names: authors list (link).
Witney T.H.; James M.L.; Shen B.; Chang E.; Pohling C.; Arksey N.; Hoehne A.; Shuhendler A.; Park J.H.; Bodapati D.; Weber J.; Gowrishankar G.; Rao J.; Chin F.T.; Gambhir S.S. (Oct 2015). "PET Imaging of Tumor Glycolysis Downstream of Hexokinase Through Noninvasive Measurement of Pyruvate Kinase M2" (PDF). Science Translational Medicine. 7 (310): 310. PMID 26491079. doi:10.1126/scitranslmed.aac6117.
Ronald J.A.; Chuang H.Y.; Dragulescu-Andrasi A.; Hori S.S.; Gambhir S.S. "Detecting Cancers Through Tumor-Activatable Minicircles That Lead to a Detectable Blood Biomarker" (PDF). PNAS USA. 112 (10): 3068–73. doi:10.1073/pnas.1414156112.
Pan Y.; Volkmer J.P.; Mach K.E.; Rouse R.V.; Sahoo D.; Chang T.C.; Metzner T.J.; de Rijn M.; Skinner E.C; Gambhir S.S.; Weissman I.L.; Liao J.C. (2014). "Endoscopic Molecular Imaging of Human Bladder Cancer Using a CD47 Antibody". Science Translational Medicine. 6 (260): 260. PMID 25355698. doi:10.1126/scitranslmed.3009457.
Smith, B.R.; E.E.B Ghosn; H. Rallapalli; J.A. Prescher; T. Larson; L.A. Herzenberg; S.S. Gambhir (2014). "Selective uptake of single-walled carbon nanotubes by circulating monocytes for enhanced tumor delivery." (PDF). Nature Nanotechnology. 9: 481–487. doi:10.1038/nnano.2014.62.
Pu, K.; A.J. Shuhendler; J.V. Jokerst; J. Mei; S.S. Gambhir; Z. Bao; J. Rao (2014). "Semiconducting Polymer Nanoparticles as Photoacoustic Molecular Imaging Probes in Living Mice." (PDF). Nature Nanotechnology. 9 (3): 233–9. PMID 24463363. doi:10.1038/nnano.2013.302.
Bohndiek, S.E.; A. Wagadarikar; C.L. Zavaleta; D. Van de Sompel; E. Garai; J.V. Jokerst; S. Yazdanfar; S.S. Gambhir (2013). "A Small Animal Raman Instrument for Rapid, Wide-Area, Spectroscopic Imaging." (PDF). PNAS USA. 110 (30): 12408–13. PMC 3725059 . PMID 23821752. doi:10.1073/pnas.1301379110.
Zavaleta, C.; E. Garai; J.T. Liu; S. Sensam; M.J. Mandella; D. Van de Sompel; S. Friedland; J. Van Dam; C.H. Contag; S.S. Gambhir (2013). "A Raman-Based Endoscopic Strategy for Multiplexed Molecular Imaging." (PDF). PNAS USA. 110 (25): E2288–97. PMC 3690865 . PMID 23703909. doi:10.1073/pnas.1211309110.
Jokerst, J.; C. Khademi; S.S. Gambhir (2013). "Intracellular Aggregation of Multimodal Silica Nanoparticles for Ultrasound-Guided Stem Cell Implantation.". Science Translational Medicine. 5 (177): 177ra35. PMC 3839309 . PMID 23515077. doi:10.1126/scitranslmed.3005228.
Ziv, K.; S.S. Gambhir (2013). "Bioengineering and Regenerative Medicine: Keeping Track." (PDF). Nature Materials. 12 (3): 180–1. PMID 23422714. doi:10.1038/nmat3579.
Chan, C.T.; R.E. Reeves; R. Geller; S.S. Yaghoubi; A. Hoehne; D.E. Solow-Cordero; G. Chiosis; T.F. Massoud; R. Paulmurugan; S.S. Gambhir (2012). "Discovery and Validation of Small-Molecule Heat-Shock Protein 90 Inhibitors Through Multimodality Molecular Imaging in Living Subjects." (PDF). PNAS USA. 109 (37): E2476–85. PMC 3443147 . PMID 22895790. doi:10.1073/pnas.1205459109.
Kircher, M.F.; A. de la Zerda; J.V. Jokerst; C.L. Zavaleta; P.J. Kempson; E. Mittra; R. Huang; C. Campos; F. Habte; R. Sinclair; C.W. Brennan; I.K. Mellinghoff; E.C. Holland; S.S. Gambhir (April 2012). "A Brain Tumor Molecular Imaging Strategy Using a New Triple-Modality MRI-Photoacoustic-Raman Nanoparticle.". Nature Medicine. 18 (5): 829–34. PMC 3422133 . PMID 22504484. doi:10.1038/nm.2721.
Hori, S.S.; S.S. Gambhir (November 2011). "Mathematical Model Identifies Blood Biomarker-Based Early Cancer Detection Strategies and Limitations." (PDF). Science Translational Medicine. 3 (109): 109ra116. PMC 3423335 . PMID 22089452. doi:10.1126/scitranslmed.3003110.
Thakor, A.; R. Luong; R. Paulmurugan; F. Lin; P. Kempen; C. Zavaleta; P. Chu; T.F. Massoud; R. Sinclair; S.S. Gambhir (April 2011). "The Fate and Toxicity of Raman-Active Silica-Gold Nanoparticles in Mice. (Cover Article)" (PDF). Science Translational Medicine. 3 (79): 79ra33. PMC 3873137 . PMID 21508310. doi:10.1126/scitranslmed.3001963.
Dragulescu-Andrasi, A.; C.T. Chan; A. De; T.F. Massoud; S.S. Gambhir (July 2011). "Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer (BRET) Imaging of Protein-Protein Interactions within Deep Tissues of Living Subjects." (PDF). PNAS. 108 (20): 12060–5. PMC 3141927 . PMID 21730157. doi:10.1073/pnas.1100923108.
Gaster, R.; D. Hall; C. Nielsen; S. Osterfeld; H. Yu; K. Mach; R. Wilson; B. Murmann; J. Liao; S.S. Gambhir; S. Wang (August 2010). "Matrix-insensitive Protein Assays Push the Limits of Biosensors in Medicine." (PDF). Nature Medicine. 15 (11): 1327–32. PMID 19820717. doi:10.1038/nm.2032.
Liu, H. Patel, M.R., Prescher, J.A., Patsialou, A., Qian, D., Lin, J., Wen, S., Chang, Y.F., Bachmann, M.H., Shimono, Y., Dalerba, P., Adorno, M., Lobo, N., Bueno, J., Dirbas, F.M., Goswami, S., Somio, G., Condeelis*, J., Contag*, C.H., Gambhir*, S.S., Clarke*, M.F. Cancer Stem Cells from Human Breast Tumors are Involved in Spontaneous Metastases in Orthotopic Mouse Models. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (USA), 107(42): 18115-20, 2010. (*Co-Corresponding Authors) PMC 2964232
Fan-Minogue, H.; Z. Cao; R. Paulmurugan; C.T. Chan; T.F. Massoud; D.W. Felsher; S.S. Gambhir (September 2010). "Noninvasive Molecular Imaging of c-Myc Activation in Living Mice." (PDF). PNAS. 107 (36): 15892–7. PMC 2936612 . PMID 20713710. doi:10.1073/pnas.1007443107.
Massoud, T.; R. Paulmurugan; S.S. Gambhir (August 2010). "A Molecularly Engineered Split Reporter for Imaging Protein Protein Interactions with Positron Emission Tomography." (PDF). Nature Medicine. 16 (8): 921–6. PMC 2917476 . PMID 20639890. doi:10.1038/nm.2185.
Loening, A. Dragulescu-Andrasi, S.S. Gambhir. (2010). "A Red-Shifted Renilla Luciferase for Transient Reporter-Gene Expression.". Nature Methods. 7 (1): 5–6. PMID 20038949. doi:10.1038/nmeth0110-05. CS1 maint: Multiple names: authors list (link)
Zavaleta, C.; B. Smith; I. Wilton; W. Doering; G. Davis; B. Shojaei; M. Natan; S.S. Gambhir (August 2009). "Multiplexed imaging of surface enhanced Raman scattering nanotags in living mice using noninvasive Raman spectroscopy." (PDF). PNAS. 106 (32): 13511–6. PMC 2726370 . PMID 19666578. doi:10.1073/pnas.0813327106.
Yaghoubi, S.; M. Jensen; N. Sastyamurthy; S. Pubhiraja; D. Paid; J. Czernin; S.S. Gambhir (January 2009). "Non-invasive Detection of Therapeutic Cytolytic T-Cells with [18F]-FHBG PET in a Patient with Glioma." (PDF). Nature Clinical Practice Oncology. 6 (1): 53–8. PMC 3526373 . PMID 19015650. doi:10.1038/ncponc1278.
D'Souza, A.; J. Tseng; K. Pauly; S. Guccione; J. Rosenberg; S.S. Gambhir; G. Glazer (September 2009). "A Strategy for Blood Biomarker Amplification and Localization using Ultrasound." (PDF). PNAS. 106 (40): 17152–7. PMC 2749842 . PMID 19805109. doi:10.1073/pnas.0903437106.
Keren, S.; C. Zavaleta; Z. Cheng; A. de la Zerda; O. Gheysens; S.S. Gambhir (April 2008). "Non-invasive Molecular Imaging of Small Living Subjects Using Raman Spectroscopy." (PDF). PNAS. 105 (15): 5844–49. PMC 2299220 . PMID 18378895. doi:10.1073/pnas.0710575105.
Shipper, M.; N. Nakayama-Ratchford; C. Davis; N. Kam; P. Chu; Z. Liu; X. Sun; J. Dai; S.S. Gambhir (April 2008). "A Pilot Toxicology Study of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes in a Small Sample of Mice." (PDF). Nature Nanotechnology. 3 (4): 216–21. doi:10.1038/nnano.2008.68.
Willmann, J.; N. van Bruggen; L. Dinkelborg; S.S. Gambhir (July 2008). "Molecular Imaging in Drug Development. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery, 7: 591-607, July 2008. (Cover article.)" (PDF). Nature Reviews Drug Discovery. 7 (7): 591–607. PMID 18591980. doi:10.1038/nrd2290.
De la Zerda, A.; C. Zavaleta; S. Keren; S. Vaithilingam; S. Bodapati; Z. Liu; J. Levi; B. Smith; T. Ma; O. Oralkan; Z. Cheng; X. Chen; H. Dai; B. Khuri-Yakub; S.S. Gambhir (August 2008). "Carbon Nanotubes as Photoacoustic Molecular Imaging Agents in Living Mice." (PDF). Nature Nanotechnology. 3 (8): 557–62. PMC 2562547 . PMID 18772918. doi:10.1038/nnano.2008.231.
