The ultimate goal of the proposed Small Animal Imaging (SAI) core is to leverage the advanced imaging capabilities in the Biomedical Research Imaging Center (BRIC) at UNC-Chapel Hill to facilitate the proposed projects. Currently, the BRIC houses an excellent array of imaging equipment, including three magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), one positron emission/computed tomography (PET/CT), one single photon emission computed tomography/CT (SPECT/CT), five optical imaging, one high resolution ultrasound, and one dedicated micro-CT system(s). A carbon nanotube based dynamic micro-CT system developed by Zhou’s team of this CCNE center has been installed at BRIC for high resolution micro-CT imaging. In addition to this state-of-the-art imaging equipment, the BRIC also has well-established infrastructure, including staff and technical expertise to support and facilitate imaging studies. These features position the BRIC ideally to support and fulfill the needs of the C-CCNE for small animal imaging. Finally, while the imaging capability in the BRIC is already impressive, our institution has committed additional funds to further augment the imaging program at UNC. Specifically, funds have been secured to recruit faculty as well as establish a cyclotron facility and the associated radiochemistry lab, which are currently under construction. These additional capabilities will therefore also be available to the proposed projects. While the cyclotron facility is not available until the new Imaging Research Building is completed, we have purchased a self-shielded 7.5MeV cyclotron which will be delivered to UNC toward the end of 2011. This upcoming cyclotron is likely to substantially benefit the CCNE projects. The CCNE core will build on the existing BRIC resources by providing additional specialized services for evaluation of drug and nanoparticle distribution in Projects 1, 2 and 3, and evaluating tumor response in Projects 2, 3 and 4.