Congratulations to ASNC's 2026 Discover Grant Awardee:

Dr. Diana_Lopez_Photo

Diana M. López, MD

Her project is, Impact of Initial PET vs CCTA on Diagnostic and Therapeutic Pathways in Cardiometabolic Disease.

The ASNC Discover Grant provides $75,000 support to eligible investigators for a research project exploring innovations and the effectiveness of nuclear cardiology.

The ASNC Discover Grant was established to encourage transformative clinical research in nuclear cardiology.

One award will be granted to an ASNC member. The recipient will have the distinct honor of presenting the status of their research at the ASNC Scientific Session and Exhibition. 

ASNC welcomes research proposals on any topic reflecting nuclear cardiology advancements. For the 2026 grant, ASNC will prioritize proposals exploring the following topics:

  • Comparative effectiveness of nuclear cardiology in comparison to other modalities
  • Pilot studies to set groundwork for randomized clinical trials in nuclear cardiology
  • Cost-effectiveness of cardiac PET
  • Role of nuclear cardiology in diagnosing microvascular and epicardial coronary artery disease
  • Best practices to demonstrate the value of nuclear cardiology in value-based care design
  • Hybrid imaging

Award Amount

$75,000 for 18 months

Number of Awards

One

Award Eligibility

  • Individuals must hold an MD, PhD, or equivalent degree.
  • Must have an active membership with ASNC (for at least 3 consecutive years).
  • Individuals whose research benefits the field of nuclear cardiology.

Applications will be reviewed against the following criteria:

  • Scientific merit (significance) with focus on the potential for the project to generate data for a successful peer-reviewed grant application
  • Transformative potential
  • Approach/methods
  • Innovation
  • Investigator qualifications
  • Research benefits the field of nuclear cardiology

Expectations of the Awardee

  • Awardee will use the full $75,000 grant during the 18-month term of the award. All funds unexpended at the end of the term will be returned to ASNC. Extensions or changes to the terms of the award (length of funding period and budget) will be made only in exceptional circumstances.
  • Awardee must 1) submit a progress and financial report on or before March 30, 2027, describing work to date, and 2) interim research status and finance reports on or before September 30, 2027, and 3) provide an update at ASNC’s 33rd Annual Scientific Session and Exhibition in September 2028 in Austin, Texas.
  • Awardee is expected to report the results of work during an educational session at the 33rd Annual Scientific Session and Exhibition of the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology, to be held September 2028.
  • All publications, presentations, and products resulting from this research should acknowledge the ASNC Discover Grant.