Radiology imaging is inherently suited to “translational” research. “Bench to bedside” has been a recent roadmap in NIH initiatives. Large center grants have been granted to facilitate translation of basic science discoveries and technologies to clinical applications. As described above, imaging technology can be applied to animals and humans, thus enabling translations of basic biological findings and technologies to potential clinical applications on the same platform. The term “translational imaging research” initially appeared in Medline around the late 1990s. Since then, there has been a rapidly increasing number of reviews and commentaries published about this new imaging research emphasis in various fields of medicine.Imaging can now elucidate basic biological processes and pathophysiology in animal models as well as in humans, facilitate new diagnostic methods, and help develop more effective treatments through accurate and specific diagnoses and treatment response evaluation in vivo.The thrust of imaging research has afforded us many possibilities and opportunities to promote translational research. In parallel, there is great enthusiasm to use imaging findings as a “surrogate” end point for clinical trials in pharmaceutical industries, which is being supported by several FDA/NIH “biomarker” initiatives.Potentially, in vivo imaging findings can replace clinical end points—which for both time and financial reasons are difficult to obtain—and facilitate therapeutic developments. Major pharmaceutical industries are developing their own imaging research capabilities to facilitate translation of preclinical research to early phase trials, but imaging of clinical patients often relies on radiology practice. To facilitate therapeutic trials, research use of a clinical imaging facility can become an opportunity for radiology practice when the balance between clinical care and research activity is met productively.