Werner Siemens Imaging Center · Tübingen

Advanced Preclinical
Metabolic Imaging
& Cell Engineering

We use cutting-edge multimodal and metabolic imaging to understand human pathology, guide cancer therapies, and engineer the next generation of functional biosensors.

Our Research Meet the Team
4
Research Pillars
18+
Team Members
2020
Sofja Kovalevskaja Award
iFIT
Excellence Cluster
Our Research

Imaging metabolism
to fight cancer

Cell metabolism plays a fundamental role in nutrient uptake and oxidation across tissues. Our team develops highly translatable molecular and metabolic imaging approaches to determine the role of metabolism in cancer, diabetes, stroke, and other diseases in vivo.

Our research is multidisciplinary, placed at the intersection of oncology, biomedical imaging, biophysics, biochemistry, and chemistry. We also develop the next generation of non-invasive hybrid metabolic sensors for biomedical imaging.

⚛️

Hyperpolarized Metabolism & Cancer Profiling

We use a clinical SpinLab™ DNP hyperpolarizer — unique in Germany — for real-time metabolic imaging. Our HyperPET system combines hyperpolarized MRI and PET to assess perfusion, metabolism, cellularity, and therapy response in a single session.

🧬

Metabolic Clustering & Tumour Microenvironment

We address tumour heterogeneity and aggressiveness with hybrid PET/MRI sensors, machine learning, and quantitative functional imaging to personalise cancer diagnostics and reveal new metabolic biomarkers — including pH, metals, and ROS.

🔬

Quantitative Functional Imaging Sensors

We design "smart" responsive multimodal sensors — combining radiochemistry expertise with hybrid PET/MRI — to detect enzymatic activity, temperature, metal ion concentrations, oxygen pressure, and reactive species with high spatial and temporal resolution.

🧲

Metal Metabolism for Medical Imaging

Perturbed metal homeostasis (zinc, copper, manganese) is linked to cancer and metabolic disease. Using synchrotron XRF, MRI, and PET/MRI, we map whole-body metal fluxes in prostate, breast, pancreatic cancers, and hepatocellular carcinomas.

Our Team

The people behind AMICI

Prof. Dr. André F. Martins

Prof. Dr. André F. Martins

W3 Full Professor · Group Leader — AMICI

André studied Biochemistry at the University of Coimbra, Portugal, and earned his joint Ph.D. in Chemistry and Biochemistry from Coimbra and CNRS/University of Orléans, France, in 2013. He then joined Prof. A. D. Sherry's lab at UT Dallas and UT Southwestern Medical Center as a Research Associate, deepening his expertise in MRI responsive sensors and molecular imaging. In 2019 he became Research Group Leader at the University Hospital Tübingen, and in 2022 was appointed W3 Full Professor at the Faculty of Medicine. He is a member of the Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180).

🏆 Sofja Kovalevskaja Award — Alexander von Humboldt Foundation 2020–2025 🏅 Innovation Award "HYPERBOLIC" — DKTK 2024–2026 🏅 "Leme do Ano" Excellence Award — City of Aveiro, Portugal 2024 🏅 Dr. K.H. Eberle Prize — Dr. K.H. Eberle Foundation 2021
Since 2022W3 Full Professor, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tübingen
2019–2022Research Group Leader, University Hospital Tübingen (UKT)
2016–2019Research Associate, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas TX
2013–2018Research Associate, University of Texas at Dallas
📧 andre.martins@med.uni-tuebingen.de  |  📞 +49 7071 29-87487
UKT Profile Google Scholar WSIC Page
Post-Doctoral Researchers
JK
Dr. Jan Kretschmer
Post-Doc
DS
Dr. Dimitri Stowbur
Post-Doc
MZ
Dr. Max Zimmermann
Post-Doc
RC
Remy Chiaffarelli
Post-Doc
PhD Students
YA
Yasmin Al-Moufleh
PhD Student
AC
Anaïs Choffart
PhD Student
LF
Lucas Freidel
PhD Student
MG
Mohammad Ghaderian
PhD Student
OH
Oliver Hihn
PhD Student
SL
Sixing Li
PhD Student
AP
Angelina Prytula-Kurkunova
PhD Student
PP
Philipp Pohlmann
PhD Student
WS
Wanying Shi
PhD Student
DT
Dayu Tian
PhD Student
MD Students
SB
Sara Bäuerle
MD Student
SN
Samuel Neubourg
MD Student
FR
Felix Reckmann
MD Student
JW
Jan Lennart Winter
MD Student
Publications

Publications & Clinical Trials

2025 4 publications
1
High-resolution deuterium metabolic imaging of the human brain at 9.4 T using phase-cycled balanced SSFP spectral-spatial acquisitions
Valsala PI, Pohmann R, Heule R, Solomakha GA, Avdievich NI, Engelmann J, Kuebler L, Martins AF, Scheffler K
Magnetic Resonance in Medicine202510.1002/mrm.70114OA
2
In vivo molecular imaging of breast cancer metabolic heterogeneity using 1-¹³C pyruvate-d3 hyperpolarized by reversible exchange with parahydrogen
Petersen S, Nagel L, Gross PR, de Maissin H, …, Martins AF, Schilling F, Reinheckel T, Schmidt AB
Theranostics2025, 15: 3714–372310.7150/thno.103272OA
3
Metabolic PCTA-Based Shift Reagents for the Detection of Extracellular Lactate Using CEST MRI
Chiaffarelli R, Cruz PF, Cotton J, Kelm T, Lee S, Ghaderian M, Zimmermann M, Geraldes C, Jurek P, Martins AF
JACS Au2025, 5(2): 779–79010.1021/jacsau.4c01020OA
4
Drug targeting of the monocarboxylate transporter MCT4 is a novel treatment strategy for metastatic ccRCC
Menig-Benzig X, Stühler V, Mazzola P, …, Choffart A, Martins AF, et al., Schwab M
Pharmacological Research2025, 222: 10805710.1016/j.phrs.2025.108057OA
2024 5 publications
5
Enhancing R₁ Relaxivity in GdDOTA-Monoamide Complexes through Polar Group-Mediated Ordering of Second-Sphere Water Molecules
Paranawithana NN, Chiaffarelli R, Kretschmer J, Buchanan E, Lopez K, Zhao PY, Kiefer G, Jurek P, Martins AF§, Sherry AD§
Inorganic Chemistry2024, 63(9): 4072–407710.1021/acs.inorgchem.3c03639OA
6
A Macrocyclic Hybrid PET/MRI Probe for Quantitative Perfusion Imaging In Vivo
Kretschmer J, Chiaffarelli R, Vuozzo M, Cotton J, Blahut J, Rális J, Dracínsky M, Matejková S, Seeling U, Schmid AM, Martins AF§, Polasek M§
Angewandte Chemie International Edition2024, 63: e20240952010.1002/anie.202409520OA
7
Impact of dietary zinc on stimulated zinc secretion MRI in the healthy and malignant mouse prostate
Clavijo Jordan V, Martins AF, Dao E, Geraki K, Chirayil S, Wen X, Khalighinejad P, Parrott D, Wang X, Gonzalez Pagan P, Rofsky N, Farquharson M, Sherry AD
NPJ Imaging2024, 2: 4710.1038/s44303-024-00051-1
8
Innexin hemichannel activation by Microplitis bicoloratus ecSOD monopolymer reduces ROS
Meng JH, Huang YB, Long J, …, Martins AF, Jiang JX, Luo KJ
iScience2024, 27: 10946910.1016/j.isci.2024.109469
9
Combining Nuclear Medicine With Other Modalities: Future Prospect for Multimodality Imaging
Archibald SJ, Holland JP, Korde A, Martins AF, Shuhendler AJ, Scott PJH
Molecular Imaging2024, 2310.1177/15353508241245265
2023 1 publication
10
Acidosis-mediated increase in IFN-γ-induced PD-L1 expression on cancer cells as an immune escape mechanism in solid tumors
Knopf P, Stowbur D, Hoffmann SHL, …, Martins AF, Pichler BJ, Ghoreschi K, Kneilling M
Molecular Cancer2023, 22: 20710.1186/s12943-023-01900-0OA
2022 2 publications
11
Practical considerations for navigating the regulatory landscape of non-clinical studies for clinical translation of radiopharmaceuticals
Korde A, Mikolajczak R, Kolenc P, …, Martins AF, Paulo A, …, Decristoforo C
EJNMMI Radiopharmacy and Chemistry2022, 7: 1810.1186/s41181-022-00168-xOA
12
Using micro-synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence (μ-SRXRF) for trace metal imaging in the development of MRI contrast agents for prostate cancer imaging
Dao E, Jordan MVC, Geraki K, Martins AF, Chirayil S, Sherry AD, Farquharson MJ
Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology2022, 74: 12705410.1016/j.jtemb.2022.127054
2021 4 publications
13
A Single-Pot Template Reaction Towards a Manganese-Based T₁ Contrast Agent
Anbu S*, Hoffmann SHL*, Carniato F, Kenning L, Price TW, Prior TJ, Botta M, Martins AF§, Stasiuk GJ§
Angewandte Chemie International Edition2021, 60(19): 10736–4410.1002/anie.202100885OA
14
Manganese(II)-Based Responsive Contrast Agent Detects Glucose-Stimulated Zinc Secretion from the Mouse Pancreas and Prostate by MRI
Chirayil S, Jordan VC, Martins AF, Paranawithana N, Ratnakar SJ, Sherry AD
Inorganic Chemistry2021, 60: 2168–217710.1021/acs.inorgchem.0c02688
15
A Protein-Based Biosensor for Detecting Calcium by Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Ozbakir HF, Miller ADC, Fishman KB, Martins AF, Kippin TE, Mukherjee A
ACS Sensors2021, 6: 3163–316910.1021/acssensors.1c01085
16
A T2ex MRI Dy-based contrast agent for direct pH imaging using a ratiometric approach
Zhang Y, Zhao KL, He HN, Wan SK, Martins AF, Zhang L, Liu K
Dalton Transactions2021, 50: 2014–201710.1039/d0dt03734f
2019 1 publication
17
A Responsive Magnetic Resonance Imaging Contrast Agent for Detection of Excess Copper(II) in the Liver In Vivo
Paranawithana NN, Martins AF, Clavijo Jordan V, Zhao P, Chirayil S, Meloni G, Sherry AD
Journal of the American Chemical Society2019, 141(28): 11009–1810.1021/jacs.8b13493OA
2018 1 publication
18
Imaging Insulin Secretion from Mouse Pancreas by MRI Is Improved by Use of a Zinc-Responsive MRI Sensor with Lower Affinity for Zn²⁺ Ions
Martins AF*, Clavijo Jordan V, Bochner F, Chirayil S, Paranawithana N, Zhang S, Lo ST, Wen X, Zhao P, Neeman M, Sherry AD
Journal of the American Chemical Society2018, 140(50): 17456–6410.1021/jacs.8b07607OA
2017 2 publications
19
Lanthanide-Based T₂ex and CEST Complexes Provide Insights into the Design of pH Sensitive MRI Agents
Zhang L*, Martins AF*, Zhao P, Wu Y, Tircso G, Sherry AD
Angewandte Chemie International Edition2017, 56(52): 16626–3010.1002/anie.201707959OA
20
Enantiomeric Recognition of d- and l-Lactate by CEST with the Aid of a Paramagnetic Shift Reagent
Zhang L*, Martins AF*, Zhao P, Tieu M, Esteban-Gomez D, McCandless GT, Platas-Iglesias C, Sherry AD
Journal of the American Chemical Society2017, 139(48): 17431–710.1021/jacs.7b08292OA

* co-first authors  ·  § co-senior authors  ·  bold = corresponding author  ·  OA = open access

Clinical Trials

Registered clinical studies

MR imaging to determine metabolic rates in the human brain using deuterated glucose at 9.4 T
PI: Martins AF, Scheffler K, Schwenck J, Bender B DRKS00035687 Registered 2024 View registration →

For the complete and up-to-date publication list, visit Prof. Martins' Google Scholar profile.

Full Publication List on Google Scholar
Get in Touch

Contact us

AMICI — André Martins Lab

📍Werner Siemens Imaging Center
Röntgenweg 13, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
📞+49 7071 29-87487
📠+49 7071 29-4451
✉️andre.martins@med.uni-tuebingen.de
🔗WSIC – AMICI Research Group
🔗UKT Faculty Profile

Society Memberships

WMIS ESMI ISMRM ACS
📡

Werner Siemens Imaging Center
Röntgenweg 13, 72076 Tübingen

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