James Galt first joined the Emory community as a student in the 1970s. He graduated with honors from Emory with a BS degree in physics. After picking up a master’s degree in physics from Georgia Tech and working as a research scientist in the Georgia Tech Research Institute, he returned to Emory and earned a PhD in physics.
Dr. Galt then spent nine years with the Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Atlanta) as Nuclear Medicine physicist and Assistant Chief of the Nuclear Medicine Service. While at the VA he joined the faculty of Emory's Department of Radiology as an assistant professor in 1989. He later added an adjunct appointment in the Department of Physics.
Dr. Galt was appointed the Director of Nuclear Medicine Physics for Emory University Hospital in 1997. As the lead clinical physicist for our Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging—a large and critically important service role—Dr. Galt ensured compliance and quality of all nuclear medicine services.
A gifted educator whose teachings still are highly valued by all learners who have studied with him, Dr. Galt directed the Physics course for nuclear medicine and nuclear cardiology residents at Emory from 1998 until his retirement in March 2026.
His efforts in education extended well beyond Emory, as he was invited to deliver over 100 lectures at conferences in the United States and abroad. He organized numerous continuing medical education courses for the Society for Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) and the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC).
Dr. Galt additionally pursued a robust research program focused on quantitative emission computed tomography. His work spanned both single-photon emission tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET) imaging, with emphasis on corrections for photon attenuation, Compton scatter, and resolution effects; utilization of SPECT and PET images for planning of radionuclide-based therapy; and correlation of SPECT and PET images with other imaging modalities. He directed doctoral students' dissertations in both areas at Emory and Georgia Tech and served on several doctoral committees.
Dr. Galt published numerous peer-reviewed scientific publications, review papers, and book chapters. He reviewed manuscripts for The Journal of Nuclear Medicine, The Journal of Nuclear Cardiology (also serving on the editorial board), Medical Physics and other journals.
Dr. Galt’s reputation as a leader extended to service at the institutional, regional and national levels. A member of SNMMI for 40 years, Dr. Galt served on numerous committees and councils, including the Physics, Instrumentation and Data Sciences Council, of which he was president. He was active in the Southeastern Chapter of SNMMI, serving as president of the chapter, and in 2014 received the chapter’s highest honor, the Marshall Brucer Award for his leadership in the field of nuclear medicine.
Dr. Galt served on the SNMMI Procedure Standards Committee for 15 years, helping develop procedures that guide nuclear medicine clinics around the world on the best practices in nuclear medicine imaging and image processing. He also helped develop imaging guidelines for ASNC, the American College of Radiology, and the American Association of Physicists in Medicine.
A great example of his selfless commitment to advancing the field of medical imaging sciences was his coordination of The Tracy Lynn Faber Memorial Award, given each year to support advancement of women in medical imaging sciences. Emory established the international award in 2013 in memory of Dr. Faber, a professor of radiology and imaging sciences at Emory from 1992 until her death in 2012 and a pioneer in the development of quantitative modeling, display, and modeling in nuclear cardiology. Eleven scholars from around the world have received the award, which is presented by the Physics, Instrumentation and Data Sciences Council of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging during the society’s annual meeting.
For his incredible record of service and leadership, Dr. Galt received the Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences’ Outstanding Service Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award. He also received School of Medicine’s Hidden Gem Award, acknowledging his extraordinary service to Emory.