Advancing global competence in diagnostic and therapeutic radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals through e-learning and laboratory-training: collaboration between WCI, IAEA and KAERI

Abstract The World Council on Isotopes (WCI), in partnership with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), has established a training initiative for professionals from countries with limited training resources in the peaceful uses of radioisotopes. The program integrates two complementary components: (a) an e-learning course (b) a hands-on laboratory training program. The e-learning course, launched in 2016, has undergone strong development. It covers today radionuclide production techniques, radiopharmaceutical preparation and regulatory aspects. To date, about 550 participants from more than 50 countries have been trained. The laboratory training program, initiated in 2023, is conducted in two hospitals and a research institute in South Korea. The experiments involve labelling of antibodies and peptides with metallic radionuclides as well as automatic synthesis and quality control (QC) of 18 F-labelled radiopharmaceuticals. This educational program of WCI thus highlights the capacity of international cooperation in building technical competence in radionuclides and radiopharmaceuticals for nuclear medicine.