J. Michael Uszler, M.D. is the Medical Director of Santa Monica Imaging and Therapy Associates and an Assistant Clinical Professor of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology at UCLA. He received his medical degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin (previously known as Marquette University School of Medicine) and his master’s degree in medical physics from UCLA as part of his academic fellowship in Nuclear Medicine.

As a board certified Nuclear Medicine physician he has 3 decades of academic and clinical experience in hospital-based care, including 8 years at UCLA-Harbor General Hospital, 20 years as Medical Director of Nuclear Medicine at Santa Monica Hospital, and now at Saint Johns Health Center in Santa Monica, as well as in private practice. For the last 15 years he has focused extensively on quantitative regional brain function imaging as part of Nuclear Medicine’s moving into clinical applications of metabolic and molecular function imaging.

He is nationally recognized for his expertise of brain SPECT imaging of disorders such as Autistic Spectrum Disorders, Cerebral Palsy, ADD/ADHD, near-drowning, closed head trauma, toxic encephalopathy, stroke and dementia, and in using SPECT and PET brain function imaging to follow the effectiveness of various therapies of these conditions, particularly Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. For more details please visit his website, drspectscan.com

His expertise includes the application of semi-quantitative regional brain imaging for normal and abnormal comparisons, for evaluation of both anatomic and functional brain disorders, and for the effects of any therapeutic interventions as part of the healing process.

Dr. Uszler's most recent emphasis is on brain SPECT imaging of brain disorders, such as cerebral palsy and ADD/ADHD, and in using that imaging modality to follow the course of various therapies, particularly Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, and Biofeedback Therapy.

Since the discovery of x-rays and radioactivity approximately 100 years ago, medical imaging of the human body has focused primarily on anatomy appearance. It is only within the last 40 years that medical imaging has also developed tools/techniques to look at how individual parts of the body function.

SPECT imaging is the most commonly available direct way to image the function of an organ or body system. At its most basic level, it is imaging of the biology and chemistry of the living cells in the body. The imaging procedure does not require patient alertness and cooperation other than remaining motionless during the scanning. PET imaging is a similar form of functional imaging that focuses primarily on cander and dementia evaluation.

A newer technique called "functional" MRI is still being developed. It requires patient alertness and cooperation to look for brain areas activated secondary to observer stimulus.

A major thrust of Dr. Uszler's work is the imaging of how the human brain functions in disease and in health. The technique he uses is spect brain imaging. With Dr. Richard Neubauer, he has contributed to recent articles on the recoverability of the pediatric brain from chronic neurological dysfunction.

Bookmark drspectscan.com to learn how imaging empowers a person to monitor and promote his/her health and well-being.