Harrison H. Barrett, PhD

Harrison H. Barrett, PhD, was a Regents Professor Emeritus in the Wyant College of Optical Sciences and the Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences at the University of Arizona. Widely regarded as the foundation of the Radiology Research Division, Dr. Barrett achieved a remarkable record of 45 consecutive years of NIH funding and served as the Founding Director of the Center for Gamma-Ray Imaging (CGRI), which was continuously funded for more than two decades.

Dr. Barrett earned his bachelor’s degree in physics from Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1960, a master’s degree in physics from MIT in 1962, and a PhD in applied physics from Harvard University in 1969. He began his career at the Raytheon Research Division before joining the University of Arizona in 1974.

As Regents Professor, Dr. Barrett also held appointments in Mathematics, Biomedical Engineering, and with the University of Arizona Cancer Center. He was named a fellow of numerous professional societies, including the Optical Society of America, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the American Physical Society, the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering, and the International Society for Optics and Photonics (SPIE).

Dr. Barrett’s scholarly contributions were extensive. He received more than 30 U.S. patents and authored or coauthored over 250 scientific papers. Under his mentorship, 64 students earned PhD degrees. In collaboration with Kyle J. Myers, he co-authored the influential textbook Foundations of Image Science, which received the inaugural J. W. Goodman Book Writing Award from OSA and SPIE in 2006.

His many honors reflect the breadth of his impact. Among them were the Humboldt Prize, the IEEE Medical Imaging Scientist Award (2000), the E. T. S. Walton Award from Science Foundation Ireland, and the C. E. K. Mees Medal from the Optical Society of America (2005). In 2011, he received both the IEEE Medal for Innovations in Healthcare Technology and the SPIE Gold Medal of the Society. He was awarded an honorary doctorate in Engineering and Architecture from the University of Ghent in Belgium in 2014, received the Paul C. Aebersold Award from the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, and was elected to the National Academy of Engineering.

In 2019, Dr. Barrett was named co-recipient of the inaugural SPIE Harrison H. Barrett Award for Medical Imaging, established in his honor. He was subsequently recognized as a National Academy of Inventors Fellow, the highest professional distinction awarded to academic inventors.

Together with his wife, Catherine “Cathy” Barrett, he established the Harrison H. and Catherine C. Barrett Endowed Chair in Optical Sciences for Cancer Imaging, which is currently held by Professor Lars Furenlid, PhD. This endowed chair stands as a lasting testament to their shared commitment to advancing science in the service of patients and society.