Dr. Barry Siegel has been named the recipient of the 2016 National Award of Nuclear Science and History.
The National Atomic Museum Foundation presents the award annually to a prominent person or entity who has had an impact on nuclear issues, the foundation said. Siegel is a professor of radiology and medicine at Washington University School of Medicine and director of nuclear medicine at the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology.
This is only the second time in the 19-year history of the award that it has been given to a medical professional, said Jim Walther, director of the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History.
Since 2005, Siegel has devoted much of his time to developing and operating the National Oncologic PET Registry (NOPR); his efforts have contributed greatly to the expansion of PET coverage by Medicare, the museum said.
The award will be presented on March 19 in Albuquerque, NM, at the Einstein Gala, the museum's largest annual fundraising event.