Research Summary

Spencer Behr, MD, is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Radiology and the Director of the Fellowship for both the Abdominal Imaging subspecialty and for the Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging at the University of California, San Francisco. He obtained his medical degree from Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston in 2005. In 2010, he completed a four-year Diagnostic Radiology residency at the Lahey Clinic Medical Center in Burlington, Massachusetts, followed by a fellowship in Abdominal Imaging and Nuclear Medicine at UCSF.

Dr. Behr has subspecialty training in abdominal imaging and nuclear medicine, and his research interests are focused on molecular and hybrid imaging translational research. He has selectively pursued interdepartmental projects to foster cross-disciplinary discussions and optimize the clinical impact of these projects.

Projects include: FDG PET in breast cancer, comparing breast cancer molecular subtypes with their respective FDG PET and breast MRI findings, CT findings in Celiac Disease, fluoro-18-fluorothymidine (FLT) PET as a potential marker of early response in patients with metastatic melanoma, CT appearance of malabsorption, and clinical applications of iodine-124 PET/CT in thyroid cancer.

Education

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, BS, 06/1999, Biology and Chemistry
Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, MD, 06/2005, Medicine
Saint Vincent Hospital, Worchester, MA, Intern, 06/2006, Medicine
Lahey Clinic Medical Center, Burlington, MA, Resident & Chief Resident, 06/2010, Diagnostic Radiology
University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, Fellow, 06/2011, Abdominal Imaging
University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, Fellow, 06/2012, Nuclear Medicine

Honors & Awards

  • 2015
    Nominated for "Radiology Award for Outstanding Faculty Mentoring", UCSF
  • 2017
    Hideyo Minagi "Outstanding Teacher Award", UCSF
  • 2017
    Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) Honored Educator Award Recipient, Radiological Society of North America (RSNA)
  • 2017
    2017 Excellence in Teaching Award, Academy of Medical Educators at UCSF

Selected Publications

  1. Chan JA, Geyer S, Zemla T, Knopp MV, Behr S, Pulsipher S, Ou FS, Dueck AC, Acoba J, Shergill A, Wolin EM, Halfdanarson TR, Konda B, Trikalinos NA, Tawfik B, Raj N, Shaheen S, Vijayvergia N, Dasari A, Strosberg JR, Kohn EC, Kulke MH, O'Reilly EM, Meyerhardt JA. Phase 3 Trial of Cabozantinib to Treat Advanced Neuroendocrine Tumors. N Engl J Med. 2025 Feb 13; 392(7):653-665.  View on PubMed
  2. Bhattacharjee R, Hammond E, Chotigar N, Akkaya Z, Jiang F, Bahroos E, Han M, Behr S, Bucknor MD, Souza RB, Pedoia V, Majumdar S. The relationships between patellofemoral bone remodeling, cartilage composition, and vertical loading rate: PET/MRI in isolated patellofemoral osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2024 Dec; 32(12):1591-1600.  View on PubMed
  3. Awali M, El Homsi M, Fraum TJ, Shetty AS, Ponisio MR, Gharzeddine K, Mhlanga J, Mallak N, Behr S, Itani M. PET/MRI: pictorial review of hepatobiliary and pancreatic applications. Abdom Radiol (NY). 2025 Feb; 50(2):875-901.  View on PubMed
  4. Wang J, Ashraf Ganjouei A, Romero-Hernandez F, Foroutani L, Bahceci D, Deranteriassian A, Casey M, Li PY, Houshmand S, Behr S, Jamshidi N, Majumdar S, Donahue T, Kim GE, Wang ZJ, Thornblade LW, Adam M, Alseidi A. A Computer Vision Algorithm to Predict Superior Mesenteric Artery Margin Status for Patients with Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Ann Surg. 2024 Aug 23.  View on PubMed
  5. Diwanji D, Carrodeguas E, Seo Y, Kang H, Soe MH, Chiang JM, Zhang L, Liu C, Behr SC, Flavell RR. Comparative Uptake Patterns of Radioactive Iodine and [18F]-Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) in Metastatic Differentiated Thyroid Cancers. J Clin Med. 2024 Jul 06; 13(13).  View on PubMed
  6. Taya M, Behr SC, Westphalen AC. Perspectives on technology: Prostate Imaging-Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS) interobserver variability. BJU Int. 2024 Oct; 134(4):510-518.  View on PubMed
  7. Kline B, Yadav S, Seo Y, Ippisch RC, Castillo J, Aggarwal RR, Kelley RK, Behr SC, Flavell RR, Lawhn-Heath C, Melisko M, Rugo HS, Wang V, Yom SS, Ha P, Jiang F, Hope TA. 68Ga-FAP-2286 PET of Solid Tumors: Biodistribution, Dosimetry, and Comparison with 18F-FDG. J Nucl Med. 2024 Jun 03; 65(6):938-943.  View on PubMed
  8. Hassan OT, Behr SC, Ohliger MA, Fowler KJ, Gill RM, Fidelman N, Mehta N, Choi HH. Per-patient Negative Predictive Value of the CT and MRI Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System Version 2018 Treatment Response Algorithm for Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Radiology. 2023 12; 309(3):e222776.  View on PubMed
  9. Houshmand S, Lawhn-Heath C, Behr S. PSMA PET imaging in the diagnosis and management of prostate cancer. Abdom Radiol (NY). 2023 12; 48(12):3610-3623.  View on PubMed
  10. Wang SJ, Whitman J, Paciorek A, Le BK, Nakakura EK, Behr SC, Joseph N, Zhang L, Hope TA, Bergsland EK. Baseline tumor growth rate highlights the heterogeneity of well differentiated gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors and predicts for increases in Ki67 index over time. J Neuroendocrinol. 2023 04; 35(4):e13260.  View on PubMed
  11. Li Y, Flavell RR, Juarez R, Chow M, Wu C, Tsai K, Daud A, Behr SC. Retrospective study of the incidence of sarcoidosis-like reaction in patients treated with immunotherapy. Clin Radiol. 2023 02; 78(2):e131-e136.  View on PubMed
  12. Huppert LA, Walker Z, Li M, Kim MO, Callan J, Brandman D, Majure M, Melisko ME, Rugo HS, Behr S, Chien AJ. Clinical characteristics and outcomes in patients with metastatic breast cancer and pseudocirrhosis: a single center retrospective cohort study. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2023 Jan; 197(1):137-148.  View on PubMed
  13. Katz MHG, Shi Q, Meyers J, Herman JM, Chuong M, Wolpin BM, Ahmad S, Marsh R, Schwartz L, Behr S, Frankel WL, Collisson E, Leenstra J, Williams TM, Vaccaro G, Venook A, Meyerhardt JA, O'Reilly EM. Efficacy of Preoperative mFOLFIRINOX vs mFOLFIRINOX Plus Hypofractionated Radiotherapy for Borderline Resectable Adenocarcinoma of the Pancreas: The A021501 Phase 2 Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Oncol. 2022 09 01; 8(9):1263-1270.  View on PubMed
  14. Gumusay O, Huppert LA, Behr SC, Rugo HS. The role of percutaneous vertebral augmentation in patients with metastatic breast cancer: Literature review including report of two cases. Breast. 2022 Jun; 63:149-156.  View on PubMed
  15. An C, Obmann MM, Sun Y, Wang ZJ, Sugi MD, Behr SC, Zagoria RJ, Woolen SA, Yeh BM. Positive Versus Neutral Oral Contrast Material for Detection of Malignant Deposits in Intraabdominal Nonsolid Organs on CT. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2022 08; 219(2):233-243.  View on PubMed
  16. Jiang H, Muir RK, Gonciarz RL, Olshen AB, Yeh I, Hann BC, Zhao N, Wang YH, Behr SC, Korkola JE, Evans MJ, Collisson EA, Renslo AR. Ferrous iron-activatable drug conjugate achieves potent MAPK blockade in KRAS-driven tumors. J Exp Med. 2022 04 04; 219(4).  View on PubMed
  17. Thiruvengadam NR, Forde KA, Miranda J, Kim C, Behr S, Masharani U, Arain MA. Disconnected Pancreatic Duct Syndrome: Pancreatitis of the Disconnected Pancreas and Its Role in the Development of Diabetes Mellitus. Clin Transl Gastroenterol. 2022 02 01; 13(2):e00457.  View on PubMed
  18. Hope TA, Eiber M, Armstrong WR, Juarez R, Murthy V, Lawhn-Heath C, Behr SC, Zhang L, Barbato F, Ceci F, Farolfi A, Schwarzenböck SM, Unterrainer M, Zacho HD, Nguyen HG, Cooperberg MR, Carroll PR, Reiter RE, Holden S, Herrmann K, Zhu S, Fendler WP, Czernin J, Calais J. Diagnostic Accuracy of 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET for Pelvic Nodal Metastasis Detection Prior to Radical Prostatectomy and Pelvic Lymph Node Dissection: A Multicenter Prospective Phase 3 Imaging Trial. JAMA Oncol. 2021 Nov 01; 7(11):1635-1642.  View on PubMed
  19. Sugi MD, Penna R, Jha P, Poder L, Behr SC, Courtier J, Mok-Lin E, Rabban JT, Choi HH. Müllerian Duct Anomalies: Role in Fertility and Pregnancy. Radiographics. 2021 Oct; 41(6):1857-1875.  View on PubMed
  20. Kelley RK, Joseph NM, Nimeiri HS, Hwang J, Kulik LM, Ngo Z, Behr SC, Onodera C, Zhang K, Bocobo AG, Benson AB, Venook AP, Gordan JD. Phase II Trial of the Combination of Temsirolimus and Sorafenib in Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Tumor Mutation Profiling. Liver Cancer. 2021 Nov; 10(6):561-571.  View on PubMed

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