[9][7] He developed an early interest in science and experimented with toy physics and chemistry kits as a child.

[10][9][11] In the same year he also joined the faculty of Washington University School of Medicine as an instructor in radiation physics.

[2][7][9] Ter-Pogossian spent his entire professional career at Washington University's Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology.

"[10][3] In 1951 Ter-Pogossian developed a pioneering scanner that detected radioactivity concentrations in living material.

[1][8] In the mid-1950s he "reported the first biomedical application of a sodium iodide detector for the diagnosis and localization of intracranial tumors.

[1][8] His early work led to the installation of a small biomedical cyclotron in the basement at the Washington University Medical Center in 1963.

"[1] Ter-Pogossian is recognized to have "led the research that turned the positron emission tomography (PET) scanner from an intriguing concept to a medical tool used in hospitals and laboratories everywhere.

"[7] Ter-Pogossian married visual artist Ann Dodson (née Scott), of St. Louis, in 1966.

[12] Ann (1932–2022)[12] had a master's degree in Egyptology and participated in exhibitions from 1973 to 2003, including the prestigious Florence Biennale.

[9] He was a trustee of the Academy of Science, St. Louis and served as an adviser to several Department of Energy, National Institutes of Health and Food and Drug Administration committees.

[9][10] He was the first editor of the IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging, published by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.