Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Date of Degree

6-2026

Document Type

Doctoral Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Program

Biochemistry

Advisor

Brian M. Zeglis

Committee Members

Jason Lewis

Frida Kleiman

Andrew Wolfe

Kristen Pepin

Subject Categories

Obstetrics and Gynecology | Radiochemistry

Keywords

Radiotheranostics, Radiopharmaceuticals, ImmunoPET, Endometrial Cancer, Endometriosis, Radioimmunoconjugate

Abstract

Molecular imaging, specifically positron emission tomography (PET), is vital for detecting disease and understanding its biological makeup. The exploitation of radiolabeled antibodies for PET imaging has proven to be indispensable to the field of molecular imaging over the last several decades. The development of radioimmunoconjugates for use in immunoPET has not only allowed for the sensitive, specific, and high-resolution detection of disease, but has also enabled a deeper understanding of the disease biology, ultimately guiding more personalized therapeutic strategies. Most typically, this technology is harnessed for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, however more recently, the field has explored the use of immunoPET in non-malignant diseases, environmental pollutants, and more.

Gynecological pathologies—i.e. endometriosis, endometrial cancer, and PCOS—have been long overlooked and under-researched. These diseases all face a dearth of pathological understanding and novel techniques for diagnosis and treatment. Molecular imaging holds the potential to fill these gaps. This dissertation delves into two major themes: 1) the role of molecular imaging in gynecological pathologies, and 2) the development of more robust radioimmunoconjugates. The chapters herein will explain the theoretical principles guiding this work and provide comprehensive analyses of prior literature that informed our novel approaches.

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