About CMTI

The Center for Molecular and Translational Imaging (CMTI) consists of an interdisciplinary team of scientists and engineers who develop and apply multimodality molecular imaging technologies to study biological processes in disease and health. The Center’s expertise includes nuclear imaging, x-ray computed tomography, bioluminescence, fluorescence, and near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging, with long-standing strengths in lymphatic imaging, optical imaging instrumentation, imaging agents, and translational imaging approaches.

In addition to its own basic science, translational, and clinical research programs, CMTI operates as a collaborative imaging center where clinicians and basic scientists from across UTHealth Houston, the Texas Medical Center, and partner institutions work with CMTI members to apply advanced imaging methods in preclinical and clinical studies. The Center supports a broad range of research, including image-guided cancer immunotherapy, lymphatic drug delivery, molecular imaging of tumor biology, and clinical imaging of cerebrospinal fluid and lymphatic flow dynamics.

CMTI’s work reflects a “bench-to-bedside” model of translation, moving new imaging technologies, molecular probes, and image-guided strategies from laboratory development into applications for diagnosis, therapeutic guidance, and patient care. As an active part of UTHealth Houston’s designation as a Lymphatic Education & Research Network Center of Excellence, CMTI advances lymphatic imaging research that connects biological discovery with clinical translation.