Harrison Barrett, PhD

Regents Professor Emeritus, Optical Sciences and Medical Imaging
Harrison H. Barrett, PhD
barrett@radiology.arizona.edu

The founder of the Medical Imaging Research division, Dr. Barret has a record 45 consecutive years of NIH funding and the founding director of the Center for Gamma Ray Imaging (CGRI), funded for more than 20 years. Previous to joining the University of Arizona faculty, he worked for the Raytheon Research Division until 1974.

Dr. Barrett has received 30 U. S. patents and written or coauthored over 250 scientific papers, and 64 students have received doctorates under his direction. In collaboration with Kyle J. Myers, he has written a book titled Foundations of Image Science, which in 2006 was awarded the First Biennial J. W. Goodman Book Writing Award from OSA and SPIE. Dr. Barrett also holds appointments in the departments of Mathematics and Biomedical Engineering, and is a member of the University of Arizona Cancer Center.

Degree(s)

  • PhD: Applied Physics, Harvard University, 1969
  • MS: Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1962
  • BS: Physics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, 1960
  • Honorary Doctorate: Engineering and Architecture, University of Ghent, Belgium, 2014
Honors and Awards
Fellow, National Academy of Inventors, 2019
SPIE Harrison H. Barrett Award for Medical Imaging, 2019
Paul C. Aebersold Award, Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, 2014
Member, National Academy of Engineering, 2014
Gold Medal of the Society, SPIE, 2011
Medal for Innovations in Healthcare Technology, IEEE, 2011
M. Paul Capp Award, University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson Department of Radiology, 2010
First Biennial J. W. Goodman Book Writing Award (with K. J. Myers), OSA/SPIE, 2006
Founders Day Faculty Science Award, University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson, 2006
C.E.K. Mees Medal, OSA, 2005
E.T.S. Walton Fellowship, Science Foundation Ireland, 2004
Charles C. Jones Lecturer, Dartmouth College Thayer School, 2003
Method to Extend Research in Time Award, National Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, 2003
John R. Cameron Lecturer, University of Wisconsin, 2003
Medical Imaging Scientist Award, IEEE, 2000
Peter W. Bartels Distinguished Visiting Professor, University of Washington, 1998
Scientific Exhibit Awards First Prize, Society of Nuclear Medicine, 1991
Scientific Exhibit Awards Bronze Medal, Society of Nuclear Medicine, 1985
Scientific Exhibit Awards Bronze Medal, Society of Nuclear Medicine, 1984
Scientific Exhibit Awards Bronze Medal, Society of Nuclear Medicine, 1983
Scientific Exhibit Awards Honorable Mention, Society of Nuclear Medicine, 1983
Humboldt Prize, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, 1980
Scientific Exhibit Awards Bronze Medal, Society of Nuclear Medicine, 1975
IR-100 Award, Industrial Research Magazine, 1973
Scientific Exhibit Awards Bronze Medal, Society of Nuclear Medicine, 1973
Scientific Exhibit Awards Silver Medal, Society of Nuclear Medicine, 1972
Fellow, American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering
Fellow, American Physical Society
Fellow, IEEE
Fellow, OSA
Member, Phi Kappa Phi
Member, Sigma Pi Sigma
Member, Sigma Xi
Clinical Specialties
Gamma-ray Detectors
Electronics and Imaging Systems
Image Science and Image Quality
Adaptive and Multi-modality Imaging
Methods for Molecular Imaging
Research Interests

image science; SPECT, PET and CT imaging; molecular imaging; theoretical and psychophysical investigations of image quality; applications of parallel computing in imaging; astronomical imaging and adaptive optics; optical metrology with maximum-likelihood methods; electron imaging; stem cells; digital radiology and telemedicine in remote regions; clinical effects of low radiation doses