Along with other UCLA scientists, Dr. Barrio pioneered the development of PET technology and new imaging approaches to investigate the biochemical mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases. He is the inventor of F-18 FDDNP, the first imaging method to visualize tau pathology in the brains of living subjects. 

Dr. Barrio has received numerous honors, including the Paul Aebersold Award for Outstanding Achievements in Basic Sciences. In 2011, in recognition of his achievements, the Annual “Jorge Barrio Lecture for Advances in Clinical Sciences” was instituted by the World Molecular Imaging Congress (WMIC). He is also the founding Editor-in-Chief of Molecular Imaging and Biology, the official journal of the World Molecular Imaging Society. 

Dr. Barrio led the scientific group that helped develop FDA guidelines for approval of diagnostic PET radiopharmaceuticals for cancer, heart and brain diseases, and the resulting federal law mandates (FDAMA 97). He has also written over 330 scientific publications and 30 book chapters. 

Dr. Barrio received his PhD in Biochemistry at the University of Buenos Aires and a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Illinois.