Rachel M. Barbee, Ph.D., DABR
Department of Imaging Physics, Division of Diagnostic Imaging
About Dr. Rachel M. Barbee
Dr. Rachel Barbee (née Bartlett) is an ABR certified Nuclear Medical Physicist and Associate Professor in the Department of Imaging Physics at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. She obtained her PhD in Medical Physics from the University of Wisconsin – Madison studying environmental neurotoxins in utero using PET imaging of novel radiotracers. After defending her thesis, she joined the Nuclear Medicine group at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York City as a post-doctoral fellow. Her work at MSKCC shifted her research focus from neurological conditions to the study of hypoxia in cancer. In 2012 she joined NYU Langone Health as the clinical nuclear medicine physicist and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Radiology, where in addition to providing clinical support she provided administrative support sitting on the IRB, IACUC, RDRC, and radiation safety committee in addition to educational roles for medical residents and clinical staff. In 2022 Dr. Barbee moved to Houston to join the Nuclear Medicine Physics group in the Department of Imaging Physics at MD Anderson Cancer Center where she provides daily support of clinical diagnostic and therapeutic nuclear medicine procedures.
Dr Barbee’s interest focuses on the practical implementation of radionuclide therapy, particularly theranostics, and personalized dosimetry. She is passionate about educating and improving the nuclear medicine community as an active member of the SNMMI MIRD (medical internal radiation dosimetry) committee and quality standards as a member of the nuclear medicine subcommittee of the ACR. In addition to the training of medical physicists and radiology residents, Dr. Barbee supports the education and certification of fellows serving on multiple committees of the ABR.
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Associate Professor, Department of Imaging Physics, Division of Diagnostic Imaging, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Dual/Joint/Adjunct Appointment
Associate Professor, Department of Imaging Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Research Interests
Quantitative nuclear medicine imaging.
Kinetic modeling of PET image data to study the dynamics of the tracer molecule and obtain quantitative estimates of biochemical and physiologic parameters.
Dosimetry of diagnostic and therapeutic radionuclides
Clinical Interests
General nuclear medicine including gamma camera planar and SPECT, PET
Radiopharmaceutical dosimetry and treatment planning
Radiation safety including facility shielding
Standardization and streamlined efficiency of a clinical nuclear medicine department
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2009 | University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, US, Medical Physics, Ph.D |
| 2004 | University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, US, Medical Physics, M.S |
| 2002 | Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, US, Physics, BS |
Postgraduate Training
| 2009-2012 | Research Fellowship, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York |
Licenses & Certifications
| 2022 | Texas Licensure Medical Nuclear Physics |
| 2022 | Medical Nuclear Physics |
| 2014 | American Board of Radiology - Nuclear Medical Physics |
| 2012 | Medical Nuclear Physics |
| 2012 | NYS Licensure: Medical Nuclear Physics |
Experience & Service
Faculty Academic Appointments
Assistant Professor, Department of Radiology, NYU Langone Medical Center, NYC, NY, 2012 - 2022
Administrative Appointments/Responsibilities
Nuclear Medicine Physicist, Department of Imaging Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2022 - Present
Nuclear Medicine Physicist, Department of Nuclear Medicine, New York University Langone Medical Center NYULMC, New York, NY, 2012 - 2022
Extramural Institutional Committee Activities
Member, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2023 - Present
Member, Medical Physics Graduate Program Steering Committee, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2023 - Present
Member, Nuclear Medicine Research Peer Review Committee, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2022 - Present
Committee Member, NYUSoM Institutional Review Board, NYU Langone Health, 2019 - 2022
Committee Member, NYU Radioactive Drug and Research Committee, NYU Langone Health, 2017 - 2022
Committee Member, NYU Medical Isotope Committee, NYU Langone Health, 2016 - 2022
Committee Member, NYUSoM Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, NYU Langone Health, 2012 - 2022
Professional Memberships
Selected Presentations & Talks
National Presentations
- 2025. Advancing patient care through nuclear medicine physics. Invited. AAPM Annual Meeting. Washington, D.C, District of Columbia, US.
- 2025. Quantitative SPECT: Comparison across platforms. Invited. AAPM Annual Meeting. Washington, D.C, District of Columbia, US.
- 2024. Siemens XSPECT verses Flash 3D SPECT threshold-based Tc-99m sulfur colloid functional liver volume for liver primary chancer radiation therapy treatment planning. Conference, US.
- 2024. Current Status and Needs of QA/QC in RPT. Conference, US.
- 2024. Dosimetry for Radiopharmaceutical Therapy: Data Acquisition and Analysis. Conference, US.
- 2024. Accuracy and variability of Siemens Lu-177 XSPECT Quant. Conference, US.
- 2023. ACR Advances in NM Technology. Conference. ACR Advances in NM Technology, US.
- 2012. Direct lymphatic administration of 18F-FDG for high resolution and multimodal PET/Cerendov lymphography. Conference. Direct lymphatic administration of 18F-FDG for high resolution and multimodal PET/Cerendov lymphography, US.
- 2011. A pilot study of using pre- and early (1 week) [18F]-misonidazole positron emission and computed tomography (18F-FMSIO PET/CT) scans as an early treatment response predictor in a series of head and neck cancer (HNC) patients undergoing chemoradiation. Conference. A pilot study of using pre- and early (1 week) [18F]-misonidazole positron emission and computed tomography (18F-FMSIO PET/CT) scans as an early treatment response predictor in a series of head and neck cancer (HNC) patients undergoing chemoradiation, US.
- 2010. Evaluating changes in tumor uptake of [18F]-FLT in patients with diffuse large cell lymphoma pre and post chemotherapy. Conference. Evaluating changes in tumor uptake of [18F]-FLT in patients with diffuse large cell lymphoma pre and post chemotherapy, US.
- 2009. Maternal-Fetal dopaminergic receptor characteristics assessed in utero. Conference. Maternal-Fetal dopaminergic receptor characteristics assessed in utero, US.
- 2008. Paraquat uptake in adult and fetal macaque brains in vivo: A PET study. Conference. Paraquat uptake in adult and fetal macaque brains in vivo: A PET study, US.
- 2006. A PET/CT study of Cerebral Dopamine D2 receptors in Rhesus Macaque Fetus in utero. Conference. A PET/CT study of Cerebral Dopamine D2 receptors in Rhesus Macaque Fetus in utero, US.
- 2004. Striatal aromatic amino acid decarboxylase turnover in vivo in primate brain: A microPET study. Conference. Striatal aromatic amino acid decarboxylase turnover in vivo in primate brain: A microPET study, US.
- 2004. Dosimetry Estimates for [18F] Desmethoxyfallypride. Conference. Dosimetry Estimates for [18F] Desmethoxyfallypride, US.
International Presentations
- Initiatives of the SNMMI - Theranostics. 2nd Symposium on Molecular Radiotherapy Dosimetry: The future of theragnostics. Athens, GR.
Grant & Contract Support
| Title: | Standardizing Clinical Deployment of Task Driven Quantitative SPECT Imaging Protocols |
| Funding Source: | QIAC |
| Role: | PI |
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Ding S, Barbee RM, Mawlawi O, Pan T. Automatic trending and analysis of SPECT quality assurance with artificial intelligence optical character recognition. Medical Physics 52(8), 2025. e-Pub 2025.
Patient Reviews
CV information above last modified December 02, 2025