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Michael Van Dam received his Bachelor's degree in Engineering Physics from Queen's University in Kingston, Canada, his Master's degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Toronto, and his PhD in Applied Physics from the California Institute of Technology. Under the supervision of Professor Stephen R. Quake, he studied microfluidics. He later completed a postdoctoral position at Caltech under Professor James R. Heath, focusing on microfluidics applied to the synthesis of radiopharmaceuticals, which led to a Senior Scientist role at Siemens Molecular Imaging Biomarker Research where he worked to commercialize his research. In 2007, he joined UCLA's Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology as a Professor. His research is centered on developing novel technologies for the multi-step radiosynthesis of radiopharmaceuticals, including PET imaging tracers and theranostic agents, as well as high-sensitivity radiochemical analysis techniques. He has published over 70 research papers and holds 20 patents associated with his discoveries. Van Dam is a co-founder of Sofie, Inc., which commercializes flexible radiosynthesizer technologies. He is passionate about advancing medical applications, particularly in molecular imaging and the development of drugs for cancer treatment.
Department of Economics admits primarily for the PhD program.