Dr. Contag is the founding Director of the Institute for Health Science and Engineering and the inaugural chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Michigan State University. Prior to establishing these two academic units at MSU, he was the Associate Chief of the Division of Neonatal and Developmental Medicine, director of Stanford’s Center for Innovation in In Vivo Imaging, and co-director of both the Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS) and the Child Health Research Institute (CHRI) at Stanford University. He is professor emeritus in the department of pediatrics at Stanford University. Dr. Contag joined the faculty of MSU in 2017 as the James and Kathleen Cornelius Chair in the Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Microbiology, Genetics & Immunology. Dr. Contag received his B.S. (1982) in biology and Ph.D. in microbiology (1988) from the University of Minnesota. He did his postdoctoral training at Stanford University from 1990-1994, and joined the Stanford faculty in 1995 as a professor in the Departments of Pediatrics, Radiology, Bioengineering and Microbiology & Immunology. Dr. Contag is a pioneer in the field of molecular imaging and is developing imaging approaches that reveal cellular and molecular processes in animals and humans, and guide development of novel therapies. He has held several national and global leadership roles, including a past President of both the World Molecular Imaging Society (2016) and the Society for Molecular Imaging (SMI, 2003)—he is a founding member of SMI. He has a proven record of mentoring graduate and postdoctoral scholars of diverse backgrounds in his laboratory, and is committed to helping students and young investigators launch successful academic careers in basic and translational research. He brings decades of expertise in molecular imaging, cancer biology, immunology, infectious diseases, stem cell biology, biomedical engineering, advanced microscopy and research training to the cancer imaging field. He has demonstrated leadership having served as the Principal Investigator (PI) or Co-Investigator on a number NIH, DoD, and NSF funded research projects. His research is focused on developing noninvasive imaging approaches aimed at revealing molecular processes in living subjects and advancing diagnostic and therapeutic strategies, and has been applying these imaging tools to advancing the ability to control cellular functions. Much of his recent work has been in the area of using new tools to effect cellular changes in vivo and this includes the use of small molecules for metabolic reprogramming, extracellular vesicles as novel therapeutics and engineered endosymbionts as cellular regulators. He is a recipient of the Achievement Award from the SMI for his contributions to imaging, and the Britton Chance Award from SPIE for his fundamental contributions to optics. Dr. Contag is a Fellow of the World Molecular Imaging Society (WMIS that now includes SMI). Dr. Contag founded Xenogen Corp. (now part of PerkinElmer) established to commercialize innovative imaging tools for biomedicine, and is a founder of BioEclipse—a cancer therapy company, and EXOForce—a company developing exoskeletons for athletics, medical and military applications.​​​