Dr. Derek Cissell is a board-certified veterinary radiologist specializing in the design, interpretation, and application of preclinical imaging within oncology, neuroscience, gene therapy, and radiopharmaceutical research programs. He works with biopharma organizations, academic research groups, and CRO partners to support imaging study design, data analysis, and scientific interpretation across all stages of preclinical development.

Derek brings a radiology-driven approach to preclinical imaging that emphasizes anatomical accuracy, physiological relevance, and analytical rigor. He focuses on interpreting imaging findings within the context of disease models, study design, and when applicable, tracer or radioligand behavior. This perspective allows imaging data to serve as scientifically defensible inputs for questions of mechanism, biodistribution, and safety, rather than existing as isolated measurements.

• Preclinical Imaging Study Design and Program Support:
  Designs imaging components of preclinical studies across MRI, PET, SPECT, CT, ultrasound, and radiography. Supports protocol development, acquisition planning, data review, and scientific reporting.
• Radiology-Based Image Interpretation:
  Provides qualitative image interpretation grounded in veterinary radiology, anatomy, and physiology. Identifies anatomical, pathological, and technical findings relevant to study outcomes.
• Quantitative Image Analysis and Data Integration:
  Develops quantitative analysis workflows for preclinical imaging datasets. Integrates quantitative outputs with qualitative review and supporting study data.
• Radiopharmaceutical Biodistribution and Translational Support:
  Supports radiopharmaceutical programs through imaging and gamma counting-based biodistribution assessment. Provides data quality review, analytical consistency, and guidance on translating preclinical biodistribution results into inputs suitable for downstream dosimetry modeling and clinical translation.
• Radioligand Therapy, Oncology, Neuroscience, and Gene Therapy Imaging:
  Applies multimodal imaging methods to radioligand therapy, oncology, neuroscience, and gene therapy programs. Supports evaluation of tissue distribution, disease-related findings, and treatment-associated changes in preclinical models.
• Regulatory-Facing Imaging Interpretation:
  Supports imaging interpretation and documentation for regulatory-facing studies. Contributes methods writeups and results narratives for reports and technical documentation.

Derek is passionate about applying anatomy and physiology alongside physics and imaging science to deliver accurate interpretation of preclinical imaging and radiopharmaceutical research. He is driven by getting the science right and maximizing the value of preclinical models by ensuring imaging data are collected, analyzed, and interpreted in the correct context.

His approach is deliberately holistic. He evaluates the full image in the context of the model, study design, and, when relevant, tracer behavior, so the output is not just measurements but scientific interpretation. The goal is consistent, defensible conclusions that teams can use to guide lead optimization and determine next steps with confidence.

Experimental Design
Data Collection
Data Analysis
Interpretation
Report Generation
Risk Assessment

MRI
PET and SPECT Imaging
Computed Tomography
Quantitative Image Analysis Pipelines
3D Slicer
VivoQuant
ImageJ
Imaging Data Integration and Analysis (Python)