Executive Summary
Dr. Sandy J.B. McEwan, MB, MSc, FRCPC, is an internationally recognized nuclear medicine and nuclear oncology physician whose career spans more than four decades across academic medicine, radiopharmaceutical therapy, and industry leadership. A Past President of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, he has helped shape how radioisotope therapies and molecular imaging are developed, evaluated, and delivered to cancer patients worldwide.
As a Senior Partner at The Bracken Group, Sandy advises pharma, biotech, and medical device organizations on strategy, medical affairs, and clinical study design. He draws on senior industry roles as Chief Medical Officer at Ariceum Therapeutics and Vice President of Radiopharmaceuticals R&D at Ipsen, and on nearly two decades chairing the Departments of Oncology and Radiology at the University of Alberta and leading oncologic imaging at the Cross Cancer Institute. His expertise runs from first-in-human radiopharmaceutical development through registrational strategy and real-world adoption.
He has advised governments and regulators on medical-isotope supply and nuclear safety — including service as a Commissioner of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission and as Special Advisor on Medical Isotopes to Canada’s federal Minister of Health — authored 120+ peer-reviewed publications, and mentored a generation of clinicians and scientists. Clients engage Sandy when a radiopharmaceutical, imaging, or nuclear oncology program needs a leader who has done the work at the bench, the bedside, the boardroom, and the regulator’s table.
Areas of Expertise
Radiopharmaceutical Therapy
Systemic targeted radionuclide therapy (131I-mIBG, 177Lu-octreotate, 89Sr), dosimetry, and the radiobiology of radioisotope therapy across oncology indications.
Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging
Diagnostic nuclear medicine, PET/SPECT, hypoxia imaging, and imaging biomarkers for diagnosis, staging, and treatment planning.
Nuclear Oncology
Theranostic management of thyroid cancer and neuroendocrine tumors, integrating molecular imaging with targeted radionuclide therapy.
Radiopharmaceutical Development
Novel tracer and radiopharmaceutical development, cyclotron isotope production, and translation from radiochemistry into clinical use.
Clinical Trial Design & Biomarkers
Molecular-imaging trial design, imaging biomarkers, response assessment, and treatment-stratification endpoints for early- and late-phase studies.
Medical & Regulatory Strategy
Medical affairs, drug and device strategy, and regulatory and health-policy advisory — including national medical-isotope supply and nuclear safety.
Academic Medicine & Leadership
Department and institutional leadership, research administration, and governance of national and international professional societies.
Medical Education
Residency and fellowship training, graduate supervision, and global PET and nuclear medicine education.
Beyond the Lab
From the Royal Navy
Before medicine became a career, Sandy served in the Royal Navy — where, among other duties, he taught submariners how to escape from a submarine.
Diving Medicine & Dysbarism
That service sparked a lasting interest in diving medicine and dysbarism — the pressure-related injuries seen in deep-sea divers — and earned him a Commander-in-Chief (Royal Navy) commendation in 1979.
Student Leader & Debater
At the University of London he was elected President of both the Students’ Union and the Debating Society — an early turn for a future president of three nuclear medicine societies.