Journal profile · Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Nuclear Medicine and Biology
ISSN 0969-8051 · eISSN 1872-9614 · Elsevier Inc. · UNITED STATES · Bimonthly · Founded 1993
Nuclear Medicine and Biology: CAS Zone 4 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.9; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,740; median 89 days to acceptance (101 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: easy; 573 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Nuclear Medicine and Biology is published by Elsevier Inc. and is in Zone 4 of Medicine in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Radiopharmaceutical Chemistry and Applications, Medical Imaging Techniques and Applications and Peptidase Inhibition and Analysis, together about 48.9% of its articles. Its main subfields are Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Official Journal of the Society of Radiopharmaceutical SciencesNuclear Medicine and Biology publishes original research addressing all aspects of radiopharmaceutical science for imaging as well as therapeutic applications. More specifically the synthesis (automated and manual), in vitro and ex vivo studies, in vivo biodistribution by dissection or imaging, radiopharmacology, radiopharmacy of new radiopharmaceuticals. Translational studies of novel targeted radiopharmaceuticals, e.g. first in human use, are warmly welcomed. In addition, in vivo imaging studies using radioactive tracers for physiological and pathophysiological research or drug discovery support are welcome. In all cases, the importance of the target to an unmet clinical need should be the first consideration.These multidisciplinary studies should validate the mechanism of localization whether the tracer is based on binding to a receptor, enzyme, antigen, or another well-defined target. The studies should be aimed at evaluating how the chemical and radiopharmaceutical properties affect pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, or therapeutic efficacy. Ideally, the study would address the sensitivity of the tracer to changes in disease or treatment, although studies validating mechanism alone are acceptable as well. In the case of therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals, the specificity of labeled compound localization and therapeutic effect should be addressed.If the synthesis of a new radiopharmaceutical is submitted without in vitro or in vivo data, then the uniqueness of the chemistry must be emphasized and should provide a substantial improvement over existing methodologies.Articles related to radiopharmacy, addressing the issues of preparation, automation, quality control, dispensing, and regulations applicable to qualification and administration of radiopharmaceuticals to humans, are also welcome if the article provides a significant impact on the field.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Editor-in-chief Albert WindhorstPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 2 in mainland China (about 4%); most named United States 24, Canada 5, United Kingdom 4, Mainland China 2, South Korea 2 (50 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Radiopharmaceutical Chemistry and ApplicationsMedicine28.5%
- Medical Imaging Techniques and ApplicationsMedicine15.6%
- Peptidase Inhibition and AnalysisMedicine4.8%
- Medical Imaging and Pathology StudiesMedicine4.4%
- Monoclonal and Polyclonal Antibodies ResearchMedicine4.3%
- Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology ResearchNeuroscience3.8%
- Cancer, Hypoxia, and MetabolismBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology3.3%
- Lanthanide and Transition Metal ComplexesMaterials Science2.8%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 2.9LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 3.1Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 5LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 5Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.75LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.85LetPub ·
- h-index
- 82LetPub ·
- h-index
- 109OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 2,527OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 0.82OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 6.5%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 32.34%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 67LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 6,227 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 59 | 26 | 8 |
| 2025 | 573 | 239 | 167 |
| 2024 | 78 | 48 | 404 |
| 2023 | 470 | 39 | 353 |
| 2022 | 614 | 79 | 728 |
| 2021 | 258 | 45 | 1,270 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with PubMed · to
89 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 68 days – 116 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 3 days (101 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 92 days
- Sample
- 101 articles with submission and acceptance dates (151 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- 3–8 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- EasyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 6 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 36 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 91 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 3 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 3,740 / EUR 3,500 / GBP 2,990 / JPY 463,870 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,880 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
Open calls for papers2, by deadline
Publisher websiteWhat to prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 1
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Highlights
- Optional
- Graphical abstract
- Required
Article types accepted5
- protocolConcise articles reporting on methods and useful applications. (Radio)chemistry aspects Given that validation of new targeted radiopharmaceuticals is a primary …Length not stated
- protocolsNuclear Medicine and Biology publishes Research Articles, Reviews, Short Communications, and Protocols.Length not stated
- research articlesNuclear Medicine and Biology publishes Research Articles, Reviews, Short Communications, and Protocols.Length not stated
- reviewsNuclear Medicine and Biology publishes Research Articles, Reviews, Short Communications, and Protocols.Length not stated
- short communicationsNuclear Medicine and Biology publishes Research Articles, Reviews, Short Communications, and Protocols.Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Single anonymized review process Model summary
This journal follows a single anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication.
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Elsevier Inc.
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- Multi-Language
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- Founded
- 1993
- ISSN
- 0969-8051
- Electronic ISSN
- 1872-9614
- Society / sponsor
- Society of Radiopharmaceutical Sciences
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Nuclear Medicine and Biology
What CAS zone is Nuclear Medicine and Biology in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Nuclear Medicine and Biology is in Zone 4 of Medicine, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 4 of Medicine. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Nuclear Medicine and Biology?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.9; CiteScore 5, h-index 109.
How long does peer review take at Nuclear Medicine and Biology?
Based on the dates recorded on 101 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 89 days (interquartile range 68–116 days); authors report an average review time of 3–8 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Easy”. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Nuclear Medicine and Biology?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: ≥ 1; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Highlights: Optional; Graphical abstract: Required. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Nuclear Medicine and Biology based?
Of the 50 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 2 (about 4%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (24), Canada (5) and United Kingdom (4). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Nuclear Medicine and Biology?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Nuclear Medicine and Biology is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Nuclear Medicine and Biology open access, and what is the APC?
Nuclear Medicine and Biology is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,740.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-25). Last updated: .