Umar Mahmood Appointed Chair of Stanford Radiology
After a national search, Umar Mahmood, MD, PhD, has been named chair of the Stanford Medicine Department of Radiology, effective January 16, 2026. Dr. Mahmood is an internationally recognized clinician and researcher, specializing in how molecular imaging can be translated to understand the drivers of cancer and applied to guide precision medicine.
“I am incredibly honored and excited to be joining the Department of Radiology at Stanford Medicine,” Dr. Mahmood said. “As healthcare enters a period of rapid change, the department is uniquely positioned to help shape the future of radiology through its intellectual depth, pioneering spirit, and unwavering commitment to excellence across all mission areas. Most importantly, it will continue to lead in improving the lives of patients, at Stanford and around the world, because of the remarkable people in the department working together.”
Dr. Mahmood is currently a Professor of Radiology at Harvard Medical School and radiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital. He also currently serves as chief of the Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, director of the Center for Precision Imaging, and director of the Center for Nuclear Medicine and Theranostic Sciences within the Department of Radiology at Massachusetts General Hospital.
In addition to these roles, Dr. Mahmood is the current president of the Radiological Society of North America, which represents professionals spanning all radiologic subspecialties in over 160 countries around the world. He has held numerous other leadership positions in the medical research community, including chair of the Board of Scientific Counselors of the Clinical Center of the National Institutes of Health and roles on the board of directors of the Society of Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging and the Academy for Radiology & Biomedical Imaging Research.
Umar Mahmood, MD, PhD
An accomplished researcher, Dr. Mahmood has received more than $25 million in grant funding as a principal investigator and published more than 190 peer-reviewed papers. His research interests include positron emission tomography (PET), optical, and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, particularly focusing on the tumor microenvironment, cancer signaling pathways, changes in cancer metabolism, and the interaction of the immune system with tumors.
Throughout his career, Dr. Mahmood has demonstrated unwavering support for mentoring the next generation of physician scientists. He has supported the growth and success of over 100 trainees, helping foster successful faculty academic careers and future leaders in the field.
Stanford Medicine Dean Lloyd Minor, Stanford Health Care President and CEO David Entwistle, and Stanford Medicine Children’s Health CEO Paul King all expressed their enthusiasm about Dr. Mahmood’s appointment as chair to oversee and continue the department’s history of innovation in imaging for biomedical research and patient care.
Dr. Mahmood earned his bachelor’s degree from the California Institute of Technology and his medical degree and doctorate in biophysics and physiology from Cornell University in 1996. His doctoral and postdoctoral work at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center focused on tumor energetics and membrane physiology. He completed his radiology residency in 2001 at Massachusetts General Hospital.