Michael Welch, PhD, a pioneering radiochemist who authored more than 550 papers on the use of radioactive drugs for diagnosing and treating disease, died on May 6 at age 72.
Welch was widely regarded as the world's leader in radiopharmaceutical chemistry and was responsible for the development and use of radioactive pharmaceutical agents in medical research and practice. His accomplishments include contributing to compounds for imaging brain blood flow and the creation of imaging agents for studying many types of cancer.
He served as a professor of radiology, chemistry, biomedical engineering, and developmental biology. He was also the founding leader of the Oncologic Imaging Research Program at the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Michael J. Welch Foundation at 55 Walls Drive, Fairfield, CT, 06824. His survivors plan to establish a foundation to support research in nuclear medicine.
