Bital Savir-Baruch, MD, FACNM

Professor
Chief, Nuclear Medicine and Theranostics
Fellowship Director, Nuclear Radiology

Bital Savir-Baruch, MD, FACNM, is a Professor of Radiology and Imaging Sciences and serves as Division Chief of Nuclear Medicine and Theranostics at the College of Medicine – Tucson, University of Arizona, and Banner University Medical Center in Tucson. In addition to her leadership role, Dr. Savir-Baruch is the Nuclear Radiology Fellowship Program Director and leads the institution’s Theranostics practice.

Dr. Savir-Baruch earned her Doctor of Medicine degree from Semmelweis University in Budapest, Hungary. She began her postgraduate training as a Nuclear Medicine Research Associate at Emory University’s Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences. Following a general surgery internship, she completed her residency in nuclear medicine at Emory. She is board-certified in both nuclear medicine and nuclear cardiology.

Soon after joining the University of Arizona, Dr. Savir-Baruch established a Theranostics program offering targeted therapies for patients with advanced neuroendocrine and prostate cancers, as well as treatments for thyroid diseases. This program quickly gained national recognition as an SNMMI Comprehensive Radiopharmaceutical Therapy Center of Excellence.

Under her leadership, the Division of Nuclear Medicine and Theranostics delivers a full spectrum of imaging services for both oncologic and non-oncologic conditions. These services are grounded in the latest clinical protocols, advanced imaging technologies, and the expertise of a highly skilled team of board-certified nuclear medicine physicians and technologists committed to delivering exceptional diagnostic quality and patient care.

Dr. Savir-Baruch is a strong advocate for personalized medicine, striving to improve patient outcomes through evidence-based, precision healthcare. She fosters a collaborative environment that brings together nuclear medicine physicians, radiologists, technologists, nurses, and referring clinicians to ensure the highest standards of care.

As a clinician, educator, and researcher, Dr. Savir-Baruch has mentored numerous pre-medical and medical students, residents, and fellows, instilling a deep commitment to excellence in service and scholarship. She is an active member of professional societies such as the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) and the American College of Nuclear Medicine (ACNM), where she holds leadership roles and contributes to advancing the field.

Her research focuses on nuclear oncology and theranostics, with a particular interest in enhancing cancer diagnosis and treatment through molecular imaging and precision medicine.

View Dr. Savir's Banner web profile here.

Research Interests: 

Nuclear Oncology: 1) New techniques to guide invasive procedures. 2) the role of novel radiotracers and imaging devices in the detection and management of neoplastic diseases such as prostate, breast, brain, and GYN cancers. 3) study of different strategies aimed at tumor therapy.  

Degrees
  • MD: Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
Honors and Awards
  • President-Elect, ACNM 2025
  • James Quinn III Award Lecture CCSNNMI Spring Meeting
  • Vice President-Elect, ACNM 2023
  • 2022 Fellow of the American College of Nuclear Medicine
  • Best Clinical Mentor Award, ACNM, 2022
  • President's Award, ACNM, 2022
  • President's Award, ACNM, 2021
  • Tech-President's Award, SNMMI, 2021
  • President's Award, ACNM, 2020
  • Hal O’Brien Rising Star Award, SNMMI, 2019
Internship
  • General Surgery, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
Residency
  • Nuclear Medicine Residency, Emory University, Atlanta, GA

Select Publications

2023

Surasi, D. Shilpa, M. Eiber, T. Maurer, M. A. Preston, B. T. Helfand, D. Josephson, A. K. Tewari, D. M. Somford, S. Rais-Bahrami, B. F. Koontz, et al., "Diagnostic Performance and Safety of Positron Emission Tomography with F-rhPSMA-7.3 in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Unfavourable Intermediate- to Very-high-risk Prostate Cancer: Results from a Phase 3, Prospective, Multicentre Study (LIGHTHOUSE).", Eur Urol, vol. 84, issue 4, pp. 361-370, 2023 Oct.
Taylor, A. T., A. K. M. Fazlur Rahman, R. D. Folks, V. Moncayo, B. Savir-Baruch, N. Plaxton, A. Polsani, R. K. Halkar, E. V. Dubovsky, E. V. Garcia, et al., "Computer assisted interpretation of Tc-99m mercaptoacetyltriglycine diuretic scintigraphy enhances resident performance.", Nucl Med Commun, vol. 44, issue 6, pp. 427-433, 2023 Jun 01. PMCID: PMC10171298  PMID: 37038959
Buehner, T. M., M. Liotta, R. K. Potkul, R. H. Wagner, and B. Savir-Baruch, "Initial Experience with the Radiotracer 18F-Fluciclovine PET/CT in Ovarian Cancer.", Mol Imaging Biol, 2023 Feb 08.
Andriole, G. L., A. F. Scarsbrook, and B. Savir-Baruch, "Impact of F-fluciclovine PET/CT on plans for androgen deprivation therapy in patients with biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer: data analysis from two prospective clinical trials.", Urol Oncol, vol. 41, issue 6, pp. 293.e1-293.e7, 2023 Jun.
Jani, A. B., G. C. Ravizzini, B. A. Gartrell, B. A. Siegel, P. Twardowski, D. Saltzstein, M. T. Fleming, A. Chau, P. Davis, B. F. Chapin, et al., "Diagnostic Performance and Safety of F-rhPSMA-7.3 Positron Emission Tomography in Men With Suspected Prostate Cancer Recurrence: Results From a Phase 3, Prospective, Multicenter Study (SPOTLIGHT).", J Urol, vol. 210, issue 2, pp. 299-311, 2023 Aug.
Buehner, T. M., M. Liotta, R. K. Potkul, R. H. Wagner, and B. Savir-Baruch, "Initial Experience with the Radiotracer 18F-Fluciclovine PET/CT in Ovarian Cancer.", Mol Imaging Biol, 2023 Feb 08.

2022

Parent, E. E., B. Savir-Baruch, I. W. Gayed, F. Almaguel, B. Chin, A. R. Pantel, E. Armstrong, A. Morley, R. C. Ippisch, and R. Richard Flavell, "JNMT continuing education: Lu PSMA therapy.", J Nucl Med Technol, 2022 Jul 26.
Bulbul, J. El, A. Hashem, D. Grybowski, C. Joyce, E. Rashad, M. S. Gabriel, R. H. Wagner, and B. Savir-Baruch, "Effect of hormonal therapy on F-fluciclovine PET/CT in the detection of prostate cancer recurrence, localization of metastatic disease, and correlation with prostate-specific antigen.", Urol Oncol, vol. 40, issue 8, pp. 379.e9-379.e16, 2022 08.
"ACR-ACNM-ASTRO-SNMMI Practice Parameter for Lutetium-177 (Lu-177) DOTATATE Therapy", American Journal of Clinical Oncology, vol. 45, issue 6, pp. 233-242, 06/2022.
"Appropriate Use Criteria for Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen PET Imaging", Journal of Nuclear Medicine, vol. 63 , pp. 59-68, 01/2022.
Bulbul, J. El, D. Grybowski, P. Lovrec, A. A. Solanki, M. S. Gabriel, R. H. Wagner, and B. Savir-Baruch, "Positivity Rate of [F]Fluciclovine PET/CT in Patients with Suspected Prostate Cancer Recurrence at PSA Levels Below 1 ng/mL.", Mol Imaging Biol, vol. 24, issue 1, pp. 42-49, 2022 02.

2021

Savir-Baruch, B., R. A. Werner, S. P. Rowe, and D. M. Schuster, "PET Imaging for Prostate Cancer.", Radiol Clin North Am, vol. 59, issue 5, pp. 801-811, 2021 Sep.

2020

Lee, J., M. Liotta, TM. Buehner, R. Potkul, P. Lovrec, YS. Kim, R. Wagner, and B. Savir-Baruch, "18F-Fluciclovine PET/CT Use in the Evaluation of Endometrial Cancer", Journal of Nuclear Medicine, vol. 61(supplement 1), pp. 357-357, 2020.
Lee, J., M. Liotta, TM. Buehner, R. Potkul, P. Lovrec, YS. Kim, R. Wagner, and B. Savir-Baruch, "18F-Fluciclovine PET/CT Use in the Evaluation of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer", Journal of Nuclear Medicine, vol. vol. 61(supplement 1),, 2020.

2019

Funmilayo, T., TM. Buehner, R. Potkol, Y. Kucerova, D. Krause, YS. Kim, M. Liotta, A. Winder, R. Wagner, and B. Savir-Baruch, "Feasibility of Fluciclovine PET-CT Imaging of Endometrial, Cervical, and Ovarian Cancers: Preliminary Findings", Journal of Nuclear Medicine, vol. vol. 60 (supplement 1), pp. 558-558, 2019.