Joel Karp

Joel Karp is a Professor in the Department of Radiology at the University of Pennsylvania with a secondary appointment in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. He received his PhD in nuclear physics from MIT in 1980 and joined the faculty at Penn in 1983 after post-doctoral training at Stony Brook University. Dr. Karp oversees the PET Imaging/Cyclotron Facility and directs operations of the Nuclear Medicine (PET/SPECT/CT) Core in the Medical School Small Animal Imaging Facility. His research focuses on improving PET technology, including front-end electronics, detector design, data correction techniques, and 3D image reconstruction algorithms. Dr. Karp has developed technology for time-of-flight imaging, leading to the Philips Gemini TF scanner and a prototype TOF instrument based on lanthanum bromide. He has also contributed to the development of standards for PET instrument performance and quantitative accuracy in multi-center trials.

Joel S Karp is a researcher at the University of Pennsylvania focused on advancing positron emission tomography (PET) technology and its clinical applications. His work emphasizes improving PET imaging through innovations such as time-of-flight imaging, total-body PET systems, and enhanced quantitative imaging techniques. Karp's research explores the performance and clinical utility of PET scanners, including their role in oncology, cardiology, and neurology. His studies also address sex differences in cerebral metabolism and the use of PET in assessing therapeutic response in cancer trials. His contributions aim to enhance diagnostic accuracy and patient care through technological and methodological advancements in PET.