The Center will explore new developments and opportunities in the rapidly growing imaging field that transcends traditional divisional boundaries. The importance of the field has been widely recognized. For example, the localization of specific molecular signatures in an image has been identified by the National Cancer Institute as an “extraordinary opportunity” and scientific priority for cancer research, and recently NIH created an additional institute (NIBIB) dedicated to this field. The work ranges from basic science and engineering through preclinical and clinical applications; it provides the critical underpinning for the development of molecular medicine and advanced environmental monitoring; and it enables the scientific disciplines which attempt to understand complex materials and biomaterials.