Nuclear Medicine is a branch of medicine that uses radioactive tracers (radiopharmaceuticals) to provide information about a person's anatomy and the functioning of specific organs at any age. This information provides an accurate diagnosis of various conditions, such as heart disease, bone abnormalities, cancer and thyroid disorders.

Before a physician becomes certified in nuclear medicine, he or she must first obtain a medical degree and train for at least a year in a specialty other than nuclear medicine. The doctor must follow-up with an additional two years of training in nuclear medicine. Courses in this training include physics, radiopharmacy, radiation biology, radionuclide therapy, patient evaluation and diagnostic studies.

Dr. Lawrence Basso is board certified in nuclear medicine and teaches students and residents at Stanford University’s School of Medicine. He has published a book on Radioimmunoassay at Stanford. Dr. Basso also works closely with technologists certified in nuclear medicine. Together, the team uses chemistry, mathematics, physics and computer technology with medicine to diagnose and treat various diseases.

Dr. Nick Costouros is board certified in nuclear medicine and is a clinical instructor at the University of California, San Francisco's Department of Radiology. He is a member of the Society of Nuclear Medicine, the American College of Radiology, the Radiiological Society of North America and the American Roentgen Ray Society.
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