Dr. Samuel Achilefu is the inaugural chair and professor of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Texas Southwestern (UTSW) in Dallas. He is the Lyda Hill Distinguished University Chair and a professor of radiology and the Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center. Before joining UTSW in February 2022, Dr. Achilefu spent over 20 years at Washington University in St. Louis, MO, where he was the inaugural Michel M. Ter-Pogossian professor of radiology and served as the vice chair for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and director of the Molecular Imaging Center at the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology.

Dr. Samuel Achilefu is an expert in the molecular imaging of human diseases, utilizing multimodal imaging methods to address imaging challenges, focusing on optical imaging platforms. His current research interests include image-guided cancer surgery, portable imaging devices, and nanotechnology. Through a multidisciplinary team of investigators, he has guided multiple research endeavors from concept to clinic.

Dr. Achilefu is an inventor of 66 U.S. patents, published over 300 scientific papers, and received over 30 local, national, and international honors and awards for research excellence, including the first Distinguished Investigator Award (Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program), the Britton Chance Biomedical Optics Award, and the St. Louis Award. He is a fellow of many professional societies, including the SPIE, Optica (formerly OSA), Royal Society of Chemistry, AAAS, the Royal Society of Medicine, and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. Dr. Achilefu is a member of the National Academy of Medicine, the National Academy of Inventors, and the National Advisory Council for Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering.