The department of Nuclear Medicine at the institute was started in November, 1957 headed by Dr.V.M.Sivaramakrishnan, M.A., Ph.D., D.R.I.P (Oak Ridge). Dr.Taylor, and Dr.V.K.Iya from Atomic Energy Establishment, Trombay visited this department to gather information for starting their Isotope Division. The Atomic Energy started supplying radioisotopes from 1961 onwards four years after the Nuclear Medicine department was started at Cancer Institute. Radioactive iodine and radioactive gold, imported from Harwell, UK were routinely used in the diagnosis and treatment of certain cancers. Dr.V.M.Sivaramakrishnan initiated major research programs involving the use of various radioisotopes with chelating agents in order to study the metabolic pathways in biological systems in both health and disease.