Jacob Hooker, PhD, MGH Research Scholar Profile
Dr. Hooker's lab focus is to accelerate the study of the living, human brain and nervous system through the development and application of molecular imaging agents.
The Chemistry and Connections Inside the Human Brain
Phyllis and Jerome Lyle Rappaport MGH Research Scholar 2016-2021
Director of Radiochemistry, Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital
Associate Professor of Radiology, Harvard Medical School
Each chemical component of the human brain influences the next.
Thus, a change in one neurochemical system can influence the entire complex network of chemistry in the brain and cause brain disorders.
Chemical connectivity changes can be acute or long-lasting and have drastic effects.
Fortunately, learning about chemical signaling changes in the brain can be the basis for the development of new drugs.
The Hooker lab develops and uses advanced neuroimaging to study the neurochemical function and connectivity of the human brain.
Imaging probes allow researchers to literally see chemical function in the human brain and see when it is altered, which will lead to better diagnosis and treatment of disease.
Our diverse group of scientists from backgrounds including chemistry, biochemistry and medical physics (among others), develops and applies tools to image molecules within the living human brain using Positron Emission Tomography (PET).
While Magnetic Resonance (MR) images reveal the anatomical/structural data about the body, PET employs radiolabeled chemical ligands to visualize the density and localization of specific molecules within the body. PET neuroimaging provides insight into the neurochemistry of the healthy brain, enables investigation of when and where molecules are dysregulated in brain diseases, and can be used to develop therapeutic treatments.
In collaboration with other groups at the Martinos Center, clinicians from Massachusetts General Hospital (e.g. neurology and psychiatry) and academic centers worldwide, we examine molecular changes in the living brain throughout the course of disease so that we can better understand underlying disease mechanisms and develop novel therapeutic approaches.
We are currently running several clinical studies to investigate the role of neuroinflammation and epigenetic enzymes in both neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases.
Additional projects are focused on developing new methods and tools to enable imaging of novel molecular targets that will advance our ability to translate basic research towards the treatment of human illness.