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MURR'S Radiopharmaceutical R&D Staff

As Associate Director of Radiopharmaceutical Research and Development at MURR,
Dr. Alan R. Ketring delivers more than 25 years of experience in research and development of radiopharmaceutical products to a vital component of the University of Missouri’s commitment to fighting cancer today with tomorrow’s technology.

After earning the Bachelor of Science in Biology from Wright State University in 1974, Dr. Ketring completed the Masters and Doctorate in Chemistry at the University of Missouri-Columbia (MU) in 1978 and 1982, respectively, concurrently working as Research Chemist in the Nuclear Medicine Laboratory at the Harry S Truman Veterans Administration Hospital. The following two and one-half years as Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Cincinnati (1982-1984), served as a springboard for entry into industrial R&D. His role as Research Chemist in the Radiochemistry Division of Mallinckrodt’s Diagnostic Products Group led him beyond improving their existing products to formulating new ones, with a focus on novel labeled compounds as potential radiodiagnostic agents.

In July of 1985 Dr. Ketring returned to MU, initially to the School of Medicine’s Department of Radiology as a Senior Research Chemist to develop radiotherapeutic agents for the treatment of various cancers, including designing protocols for and supervising the execution of preclinical studies according to GLP guidelines. A seamless transfer to the nation’s highest power research reactor at a university occurred when he accepted the position of Senior Research Scientist at MURR the following year.

In his 17 years at MURR Dr. Ketring has filled many roles—directing the Radiopharmaceutical R&D Program, collaborating with industry, conducting federally funded research, mentoring graduate students and teaching various chemistry courses, serving as Interim Scientific Director during a 16-month transition and then accepting the position of Associate Director of Reactor Research and Development (1998-2000). He holds adjunct MU faculty appointments in both Chemistry and Radiology, serves on several graduate student committees, and is a member of the American Chemical Society and the Society of Nuclear Medicine.

The University of Missouri is the only university in the world to have commercialized three radiopharmaceuticals, CeretecTM, TheraSphereTM and Quadramet®. Dr. Ketring participated in each of those teams and was a significant member of the latter two, undertaking the formidable work of translating mere ideas into successful therapeutic agents. His current focus is equally overarching—using MURR’s unique resources to connect MU faculty research with tomorrow’s generation of radiochemists and our citizens’ vital needs. To this end, the MURR Center is ramping up its involvement in Phase III clinical trials of radiopharmaceuticals and product development and establishing cGMP facilities and practices at MURR. These efforts further strengthen MURR’s role as a cornerstone in MU’s initiative to garner the NCI designation as a Comprehensive Cancer Center.


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MURR Introduction to the nation's premier university research reactor MURR Research and Development--R&D at the nation's premier university research reactor MURR Education--training tomorrow's nuclear scientists, engineers and technicians MURR Products and Services--providing quality nuclear products and services to a global community MURR Center homepage MURR Center homepage MURR Operations--safe and reliable University of Missouri-Columbia homepage MURR Site Map


MURR Relicensing
The reactor is in the process of relicensing for another 20 years of nuclear-based research, education and medical and other applications. Check here for project updates.


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Last updated October 2008