Moustafa Gabr to Join Columbia Radiology
The Department of Radiology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) is pleased to announce that Moustafa Gabr, PhD, will join the department on July 1, 2026, as associate professor of radiology and director of molecular imaging and therapeutics research.
Gabr is an internationally recognized scientist whose work spans molecular imaging, chemical biology, immunopharmacology, and translational therapeutics. His research focuses on the discovery and development of small-molecule diagnostics and therapeutics for cancer, neurodegenerative disease, and immune-mediated disorders, with a particular emphasis on advancing next-generation immunotherapies and molecular imaging probes.
As director of molecular imaging and therapeutics research, Dr. Gabr will help expand Columbia Radiology’s translational imaging and theranostics portfolio by advancing cutting-edge molecular imaging technologies and fostering collaborative research across CUIMC. His appointment reflects the department’s continued commitment to innovation in imaging science and precision medicine.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Gabr to Columbia Radiology,” said Stella Kang, MD, MS, professor of radiology and vice chair of clinical research for the department. “His pioneering work at the intersection of molecular imaging, chemical biology, and immunotherapy for multiple forms of disease represents the kind of transformative science that will shape the future of precision diagnostics and therapeutics.”
Gabr currently serves as associate professor of chemistry in radiology at Weill Cornell Medicine, where he leads a multidisciplinary research program that has received national recognition for its innovation in drug discovery, molecular imaging, and translational science. His laboratory has pioneered innovative approaches for targeting immune checkpoints and tumor microenvironments using small molecules, including the development of novel therapeutics and PET imaging probes for glioblastoma and Alzheimer’s disease.
The author of more than 120 publications, Gabr has established an exceptional record of scientific leadership and innovation. His work has been supported by multiple NIH R01 grants across the National Cancer Institute, National Institute on Aging, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, and National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Gabr received his PhD in chemistry from the University of Iowa and completed postdoctoral training in the Department of Radiology at Stanford University under the mentorship of the late Dr. Sanjiv Sam Gambhir.
Columbia Radiology looks forward to the impact Dr. Gabr will have in advancing molecular imaging research and training the next generation of physician-scientists and translational investigators.