Charles “Chuck” Mistretta, PhD, a pioneering researcher who transformed the field of medical imaging, passed away on June 9, 2026. The University of Wisconsin–Madison professor emeritus of medical physics, radiology, and biomedical engineering had a profound impact on both the field and his students and collaborators. Mistretta was a beloved teacher and brilliant researcher. He entered medical imaging without conventional training in the field and transformed it through discoveries that led to new instruments, central to diagnosis and treatment of vascular disease today. Mistretta was best known for developing digital subtraction angiography, a medical imaging technique that allowed physicians to visualize blood vessels in real time with greater clarity, which made the development of minimally invasive, image-guided interventions possible. Mistretta also helped advance magnetic resonance angiography, developing a technology that improved imaging of contrast dye as it passes through the vascular system, giving physicians a more reliable view of blood flow over time.
Mistretta’s refinement of time-resolved imaging methods such as 4D digital subtraction angiography allowed for image sequencing and expanded physicians’ ability to visualize anatomy. His career was defined by a central vision: medical imaging should not merely show structure, but should also reveal function, motion and flow of vascular systems. His work resulted in more than 40 U.S. patents, along with publications, commercial technologies and clinical tools. He changed patients’ lives and inspired generations of scientists, physicians and inventors.
