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Professor Sabina Dizdarevic

A photo of Sabina Dizdarevic in front of a scanning machine

Professor Sabina Dizdarevic (MD MSc PhD FRCP)

MSc Nuclear Medicine Postgraduate Programme Lead and Honorary Clinical Professor
E: S.Dizdarevic2@bsms.ac.uk
T: 01273 696955 x 4868
Location: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Louisa Martindale Building, 2nd floor, Royal Sussex County Hospital, Eastern Road, BN2 5BE

DA contact details:
Department of Medical Education, Nuclear Medicine
Email: NuclearMedicine@bsms.ac.uk

Area of expertise: Nuclear Medicine, PET-CT, Radiopharmaceutical Targeted Radionuclide Therapy/Molecular radiotherapy

Research areas: Nuclear Medicine, PET-CT

Other faculty positions: Professor Dizdarevic previously held academic and clinical appointments at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital, King’s College London; Great Ormond Street Hospital, Institute of Child Health; Henri Becquerel Fellow; Institute of Nuclear Medicine, University College London, where she was an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Fellow.

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Biography

Professor Sabina Dizdarevic is Consultant Physician in Nuclear Medicine, Lead Consultant for PET-CT, and Director of Research and Innovation for the Clinical Support Services Division at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust. She has served as Lead Consultant in Nuclear Medicine since 2003 and was Principal Lead for Imaging and Nuclear Medicine from 2015 to 2022.

She is the current President of the British Nuclear Medicine Society (BNMS) (2025–2027). Previously, she founded and chaired the BNMS Research and Innovation Committee and the Academic–Industry Forum and has also chaired the Society’s Scientific and Education Committee. She has held numerous national leadership roles, promoting innovation, education, research, and workforce development across nuclear medicine.

Professor Dizdarevic has been instrumental in introducing advanced molecular imaging and targeted radionuclide therapy services at regional, national, and international levels. Together with colleagues in Brighton, she established one of the world’s first clinical Radium-223 dichloride bone-targeted therapy services in 2014, helping to advance molecular radiotherapy into routine clinical practice.

She is the UK National Delegate to the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM) and was appointed to the EANM Member Societies Council in 2026. Her previous national leadership roles include Chair of the Royal College of Physicians Joint Specialty Committee on Nuclear Medicine, Chair of the Intercollegiate Standing Committee on Nuclear Medicine (RCP/RCR), Chair of the ARSAC Research Subgroup, and member of both the UEMS Nuclear Medicine Board and the UK National Specialty Training Committee.

Research

Professor Sabina Dizdarevic graduated in Medicine (MD) from the University of Sarajevo, completed an MSc in Nuclear Medicine at University College London, where her research focused on Dopamine Transporter (DaTscan) imaging in parkinsonian disorders, and obtained a PhD from the University of Sussex and Brighton investigating the functional molecular imaging of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters.

Her research focuses on the development and clinical translation of novel molecular imaging and theragnostic techniques, particularly in oncology, neuroscience and cardiovascular disease. She has made significant contributions to prostate and thyroid cancer molecular radio-theranostics, and the development of imaging biomarkers for oncological and non-oncological disorders.

Professor Dizdarevic has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals, authored seven book chapters, and has led or supported more than 150 research projects as Principal Investigator, Chief Investigator, Lead Clinical Radiation Expert, or ARSAC licence holder. Her work spans investigator-led, commercial, and multicentre clinical trials, advancing precision diagnostics, and targeted radionuclide therapies.

As the inaugural Research Chair of BNMS, she established the BNMS Research Champion Network and the Academic–Industry Forum, creating a national platform that strengthens collaboration between healthcare organisations, academia, industry, and researchers while promoting research excellence, innovation, and the translation of scientific discoveries into improved patient care.

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Teaching

Professor Dizdarevic leads the MSc/PGDip/PGCert Postgraduate Programme in Nuclear Medicine at Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS), where she is committed to advancing education and strengthening the multi-professional nuclear medicine workforce across all healthcare disciplines.

She is passionate about education, training, and mentorship, supporting the development of the nuclear medicine workforce at every stage of training. Professor Dizdarevic serves as an educational, academic, and clinical supervisor for resident doctors in Nuclear Medicine and Radiology, as well as Foundation trainees. She is also a Personal Tutor for undergraduate medical students and contributes to undergraduate teaching through the Integrated Research Project (IRP) for Year 4 medical students.

Professor Dizdarevic is internationally recognised for her contributions to molecular imaging, PET-CT, thera(g)nostics, molecular radiotherapy, clinical research, and postgraduate education. She is committed to advancing excellence in patient care through innovation, multidisciplinary collaboration, and the education and training of the next generation of healthcare professionals, fostering the development of the nuclear medicine workforce across both postgraduate and undergraduate medical education.

Selected publications

Dizdarevic S, Scarsbrook A, Barrington S, et al.; on behalf of the Intercollegiate Standing Committee on Nuclear Medicine, Royal College of Physicians and Royal College of Radiologists. Evidence-based indications for the use of PET-CT in the United Kingdom 2022. London: Royal College of Radiologists; 2022.

Kashbour M, Amro S, Nada EA, Darwish MY, Hamdy AM, Dizdarevic S. Comparative diagnostic performance of [18F]flurpiridaz PET and SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2026 Jul 20. doi:10.1007/s00259-026-07949-5.

Amro S, Vinjamuri S, Dizdarevic S. PET computed tomography policy variations across the UK: a call for harmonisation and equity of access. Nucl Med Commun. 2026;47(4):371-374.

Dizdarevic S, McCready VR, Blower PJ, Vöö SA, Wadsley J, McGowan DR, et al. The British nuclear medicine research strategy—the framework. Nucl Med Commun. 2024;45(4):347-351.

Higano CS, Dizdarevic S, Logue J, Richardson T, George S, de Jong I, et al. Safety and effectiveness of the radium-223-taxane treatment sequence in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer in a global observational study (REASSURE). Cancer. 2024;130(11):1930-1939.

Vera JH, Eftychiou N, Schuerer M, Rullmann M, Barthel H, Sabri O, et al. Clinical utility of β-amyloid PET imaging in people living with HIV with cognitive symptoms. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2021;87:826-833.

Kannan P, Füredi A, Dizdarevic S, Wanek T, Mairinger S, Collins J, et al. In vivo characterization of [18F]AVT-011 as a radiotracer for PET imaging of multidrug resistance. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2020;47:2026-2035.

Gilbert FJ, Harris S, Miles KA, Weir-McCall JR, Qureshi NR, Rintoul RC, Dizdarevic S, et al. Comparative accuracy and cost-effectiveness of dynamic contrast-enhanced CT and positron emission tomography in the characterisation of solitary pulmonary nodules. Thorax. 2021. doi:10.1136/thoraxjnl-2021-216948.

La Torre G, Herman AM, Jessop M, Abdula N, Crawshaw A, …Dizdarevic S. 123I-Ioflupane dopamine transporter imaging (DaTSCAN) appearances in relation to emotional responsiveness, impulsivity and olfaction in suspected Parkinsonian syndrome. Nuclear Medicine Communications 2020; 41: 1117–1127.

Dizdarevic S, Jessop M, Begley P, Main S, Robinson A. Radium-223 dichloride in castration-resistant metastatic prostate cancer: improving outcomes and identifying predictors of survival in clinical practice. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2018;45:2264-2273.