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ISMRM Appoints Anne-Marie Kahrovic as Executive Director after 6-Month Search

[Concord, CA 1.25.24] – The International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) and International Society for MR Radiographers & Technologists (ISMRT), a section of the ISMRM, is delighted to announce Anne-Marie Kahrovic as its new Executive Director, concluding a rigorous six-month search. With over eight years of experience and mentorship under outgoing Executive Director Roberta Kravitz, Anne-Marie brings a strategic vision and collaborative leadership to ISMRM.

Chosen after a meticulous selection process, Anne-Marie's deep understanding of ISMRM's mission and her proven ability to drive strategic initiatives make her the ideal leader for the Society. In her interim role, she has already demonstrated a commitment to advancing magnetic resonance research and fostering collaboration within the ISMRM community.

Commenting on the appointment, ISMRM President Derek K. Jones, Ph.D., remarked, "I am absolutely thrilled to welcome Anne-Marie Kahrovic as the new Executive Director. Through our weekly calls and her role as Interim Executive Director, what shines through is her deep passion for our Society, her consummate professionalism, and her deep loyalty to the ISMRM and her team in the Central Office. I assure you that the future of our Society is in safe hands, and we all look forward to working under Anne-Marie's leadership."

Expressing gratitude for the opportunity, Anne-Marie Kahrovic stated, "I am honored and excited to lead the ISMRM. I look forward to building on the strong foundation laid by Roberta Kravitz. I am deeply committed to this incredible community and the collaboration in advancing magnetic resonance research."

ISMRM remains dedicated to its mission of promoting communication, research, and development in magnetic resonance techniques. The Society extends appreciation to Roberta Kravitz for her service and welcomes Anne-Marie Kahrovic to her new role as Executive Director.

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ISMRM: Fostering a United Community of Innovators in MR for Better Health

Chicago, IL - November 22, 2024 - The International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) is excited to announce its presence at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) Annual Meeting in Chicago. As the premier global community dedicated to advancing magnetic resonance for the betterment of healthcare, you can find the ISMRM booth in Publishers Row, Booth 1203.

Derek K. Jones, Ph.D., leads ISMRM as President from 2023 to 2024. Dr. Jones, a renowned MRI expert, is a professor of MRI and the Director of the Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC) in the UK. With qualifications in physics, medical physics, and a Ph.D. in diffusion tensor MRI, he has over 28+ years of experience in microstructural MRI, including ultra-strong gradients and ultra-low field techniques; his leadership is a testament to ISMRM's commitment to innovation.

The ISMRM & ISMRT Annual Meeting & Exhibition is a hub of MRI innovation, offering a unique opportunity to engage with the forefront of MRI research. Attendees can directly connect with the leading minds driving MRI advancements.

"At ISMRM, we foster a dynamic community that blends clinical insights with scientific discoveries, pushing the boundaries of MRI technology to enhance patient care," said Jones.

ISMRM proudly awards fellowships and medals to recognize outstanding contributions by its members. It's also expanding its global outreach by partnering with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to bring professionals from low- and middle-income countries to the Annual Meeting, providing mentorship and shaping the global MRI landscape.

For nearly three decades, ISMRM has united scientists, clinicians, engineers, physicians, and industry experts in advancing magnetic resonance for scientific exploration and clinical medicine. The society's motto, "One community for clinicians and scientists," encapsulates its mission.

ISMRM's members have contributed groundbreaking innovations in medical imaging, addressing challenges across various fields. The society includes a dedicated section for MR radiographers and technologists, the International Society for MR Radiographers and Technologists (ISMRT).

ISMRM and ISMRT have built a robust global collaboration network, advancing MRI safety, technologies, contrast mechanisms, clinical trials, and more.

ISMRM's annual meetings take attendees to remarkable destinations worldwide, with the 2024 meeting set in Singapore, 2025 in Hawaii, and 2026 destined for South Africa. These events and year-round workshops provide a platform for education, scientific exchange, and a world-class conference featuring the latest MR technology.

ISMRM's commitment to bridging basic and clinical sciences is evident in its diverse mix of clinicians and scientists on the Board of Trustees. The Annual Meeting showcases technical and clinical innovation and the latest scientific abstracts.

Visit Booth 1203 at RSNA to explore ISMRM's community and join us at the Annual Meeting from 04 – 09 May 2024, in Singapore. Come explore, learn, and share MR discoveries with ISMRM!

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JMRI PUBLISHES EDITORIAL WITH ISMRM RECOMMENDATIONS FOR RELIEVING IODINATED CONTRAST SHORTAGES BY USING MRI AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO CT

On 02 June 2022 the Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (JMRI) published an editorial that emphasizes how MRI is an appropriate, timely, and cost-effective substitute for contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CE-CT) for many clinical indications. The International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) authored the editorial paper in response to recent shortages of iohexol (Omnipaque), the iodinated contrast media most often used for CE-CT and CT angiography.

This shortage, first reported by GE Healthcare in April 2022, highlights supply chain vulnerabilities in the delivery of CT-based imaging services and will require a multifaceted approach to lower the impact on patient care. The ISMRM paper provides specific examples of when MRI exams can replace iodinated contrast-enhanced CT – increasing the availability of iodinated contrast for applications where substitution is not recommended.

The complete editorial is now freely available at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jmri.28282

Title of Editorial Paper: Magnetic Resonance Imaging as an Alternative to Contrast-Enhanced Computed Tomography to Mitigate Iodinated Contrast Shortages: Recommendations from the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine

Authors, on behalf of ISMRM:

Scott B. Reeder, MD, PhD, Departments of Radiology, Medical Physics, Biomedical Engineering, Medicine, and Emergency Medicine, University of Wisconsin

Christopher Hess, MD, PhD, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California at San Francisco

Gregory Zaharchuk, MD, PhD, Department of Radiology, Stanford University

Linda Moy, MD, on behalf of the ISMRM, Department of Radiology, Langone Medical Center, New York University

Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (JMRI) is owned by the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine and published by Wiley. JMRI is devoted to the timely publication of basic and clinical research, educational and review articles, and other information related to the diagnostic applications of magnetic resonance.

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ISMRM AWARDS GOLD MEDALS AT ANNUAL MEETING AND ANNOUNCES NEW PRESIDENT

CONCORD, CA, USA, MAY 2021

The International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) is holding its Annual Meeting this week and will recognize several achievements with prestigious awards.

The Gold Medal award is the organization’s highest honor and is awarded to recognize a major research contribution to the field of magnetic resonance within the scope of the Society. The ISMRM Gold Medal was awarded to the following individuals:

Frederik Barkhof, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Neuroradiology, Queen Square Institute of Neurology and Centre for Medical Imaging Computing, University College London, England, and Department of Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, the Netherlands, for his seminal contributions to the understanding of various neurological diseases and conditions using MRI.

Douglas L. Rothman, Ph.D., Professor of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging and of Biomedical Engineering, Director of Yale MR Research Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA, for his seminal contributions to the study of brain, muscle, and liver metabolism using magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging.

Clare Tempany-Afdhal, M.D., Professor of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, and Ferenc Jolesz Chair of Research, Radiology Brigham & Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA, for her seminal contributions to the advancement of diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer with MRI.

In addition, Tim Leiner, M.D., Ph.D., the 2020-21 ISMRM President, awarded and presented the 2021 school of Senior Fellows as well as Junior Fellows, both of which are listed on the ISMRM website.

In addition to the award presentations, the Annual Meeting is the time of the official transfer of leadership. Tim Leiner, M.D., Ph.D., the 2020-21 President, will hand over the gavel to Fernando Calamante, Ph.D., ISMRM President for 2021-22, on Wednesday, 19 May, at the annual business meeting, as well as welcome the incoming Board of Trustees members.

The ISMRM-SMRT Annual Meeting is being held virtually this year, with over 5,000 attendees dedicated to the field of magnetic resonance participating. The next Annual Meeting will be a joint meeting with the ESMRMB and will be held 7-12 May 2022 in London, England.

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ISMRM-SMRT ANNUAL MEETING FEATURES DISTINGUISHED SPEAKER PROGRAM

CONCORD, CA, USA, MAY 2021

The International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) is holding its Annual Meeting this week and the program features several well-known speakers.

This year, the ISMRM Presidential Lecture will be given by Simon Singh, Ph.D. The title of Singh’s presentation is “From the Big Bang to Homer’s Last Theorem.” Singh became a TV producer and director working on BBC programs including "Tomorrow's World" and "Horizon" before winning a BAFTA for his award-winning documentary, "Fermat's Last Theorem," which was followed by his book on the same subject. Singh, one of the world's most popular science and math writers, will lead listeners on a tour through his bestselling books and talk about how he has taken some difficult topics and explained them to a large general audience.

In addition to Simon Singh, this year's ISMRM keynote speakers are Pia C. Maly Sundgren, M.D., Ph.D., the Mansfield Lecturer, speaking on Viribus Unitis; John Gore, Ph.D., the Lauterbur Lecturer, speaking on Adventures in Contrast; and Katja Pinker-Domenig, M.D., Ph.D., the NIBIB New Horizons Lecturer, speaking on Precision MRI of the Breast: Reality or Utopia? The SMRT keynote speakers are Thomas Grist, M.D., the President’s Lecturer, speaking on Go with the Flow: Lessons Learned About the Importance of Radiologist-Technologist Teamwork in the Development of MR Angiography, and Donald McRobbie, Ph.D., who will conduct the SMRT Masterclass on MR Safety: From Folklore to Physics.

The ISMRM-SMRT Annual Meeting will be held virtually this year, with over 5,000 attendees dedicated to the field of magnetic resonance participating. The next ISMRM Annual Meeting will be a joint meeting with the ESMRMB and will be held 7-12 May 2022 in London, England.

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A Message from the ISMRM & SMRT Presidents
Lawrence L. Wald, Ph.D., and Shawna Farquharson, Ph.D.

Due to continuing safety concerns and public health restrictions with respect to large gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic, the ISMRM Board of Trustees, with the support of the SMRT, met and voted to transform this year's annual meetings into a virtual conference (v-conference), including ...

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International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) Reschedules 2020 Annual Meeting and Destination to 08-13 August 2020, Paris, France.

CONCORD, CA, USA, MARCH 2020

After much discussion on the global impact the coronavirus disease COVID-19 is continuing to have as well as daily reporting from the WHO and the CDC, the ISMRM Board of Trustees has rescheduled the ISMRM and SMRT 2020 Annual Meetings previously planned for Sydney, Australia.

ISMRM President, Larry Wald and SMRT President, Shawna Farquharson announced, "Due to the rapidly unfurling repercussions of the coronavirus epidemics, the Board of Trustees met and decided to delay this year's annual meeting. Given the limited alternatives available at the ICC Sydney over the months in which postponement is an option, we have made arrangements to hold the meeting in Paris at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles on 08-13 August.

"As you know, after stabilizing in China, the coronavirus epidemics have progressed worldwide, where they appear poised to peak sometime in April. While Sydney remains a relatively safe location, many of our members' institutions have instituted no-travel policies in order to slow the spread of disease and protect their staff and patients. In addition, Australia's entry ban for members coming from China and Korea remain, and even those not under government or institutional travel bans have an understandable reluctance to travel at this time.

"However, our problem is broader than travel restrictions and Sydney; it is the public health issue of gathering 6,000 international visitors to a conference in April. Taken together, the Board felt postponement is the only reasonable option at this time. We appreciate your patience and understanding in this matter and hope to see you in Paris."

All ISMRM and SMRT exhibitors will be contacted directly by our Meetings Department with further information. If you have already registered for our meeting, your registration will automatically be transferred to Paris. If you need to cancel your registration, you will be provided a full refund. We are working closely with CHM (the official housing management company) to ensure that all hotel refunds will be made. If you have already booked your airline ticket, please work with your carrier directly as all airlines have their own cancellation and refund policies. Please read our frequently asked questions (FAQ's) document located on our website for further details.

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President's Corner #23: Happy New Year! – and the road ahead...

CONCORD, CA, USA, JANUARY 2020

Welcome to 2020 and the lunar new year, the year of the rat in the Chinese zodiac. The rat is certainly an important animal to the imaging community and thus, likely 2020 will be an auspicious year. You will see—I am going to always take the optimistic view in this letter!

First and foremost, we are in "full-steam-ahead" mode for the 2020 annual meeting in Sydney (April 18-23). Roberta Kravitz, the Executive Director of the ISMRM, Anne-Marie Kahrovic, the Director of Meetings, and pretty much every one of the 16 Central Office staff is now dedicated to this effort. The 89 members of the Annual Meeting Program Committee (AMPC) just met to finalize the sessions constructed from the >6000 submitted abstracts reviewed by >700 reviewers.

From my position on the Engineering, Safety and Interventional AMPC table, it looks to be a great program. Doug Noll, our AMPC program chair, and Nicole Seiberlich, the current Educational Chair and 2021 AMPC chair, have tweaked the program to brew an amazing educational and scientific cocktail out of the formable content the Society generates. The named lectures and plenaries are in place and will be exciting anchors to this scientific program. Peter Basser will kick off the scientific program Sunday evening with the Lauterbur Lecture and David Brunner follows with the NIBIB New Horizons lecture on Tuesday. Ellen Grant will close the meeting with the Mansfield Lecture on Thursday afternoon to bring the focus full circle around the clinical needs for our work. And in the middle of it all is the relatively recently introduced Presidential Lecture (Wednesday morning). For this, Dr. Eric Betzig will present his first-hand account of how a 500-year-old imaging method was revolutionized in about a decade. Dr. Betzig shared the 2014 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his contributions to methodology for super-resolution optical microscopy.

All in all, meeting planning is going extremely well; perfect, in fact, except for the unprecedented bushfires in New South Wales, accelerating global warming and the spread of a deadly new virus. So, let me take a minute to address these. First of all, thank you to all who contributed to the wildfire charities linked to on our website and elsewhere (see https://www.ismrm.org/20m/. Hint: there is still need...). Thankfully, rain has helped manage these fires, and we are optimistic that they can be fully controlled in the next 2 and ½ months, and hope the habitat can start the natural recovery process.

Second is the related and pervasive issue of the sustainability of our meeting and limiting our Society's carbon footprint. Most ascribe the unprecedented fires to the record heat and dryness in Australia of the last few years (see http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/history/temperature/ for an impressive graphic), and directly implicate a changing ocean temperature pattern in the Indian Ocean. Of course, the effect of man-made carbon emissions is considered a prime driver. As many of you have pointed out, holding the meeting in Sydney is not the minimal solution for transportation-associated carbon emission. This is clearly the year in which this factor officially enters our site selection calculus (which begins about 8 years prior to the meeting). We are, however committed to diverse locations, including our rotation between N. America, Europe and Asia. Between the ISMRM and SMRT, we expect almost 1000 Australians at the meeting whose reduced travel constitutes a small silver lining in the transportation impact.

This year is also the start of what I believe will be a worldwide shift to incorporating carbon emissions into the cost of doing business. We have asked for, and are facilitating, a voluntary carbon offset purchase as part of the meeting registration. Any economist will tell you that failure to include the societal costs within the goods of a polluting industry is a significant aggravating factor. Namely, if the paint factory has to pay to clean up the river, they will be considerably more careful. Greenhouse gasses are clearly a pollutant, and carbon offsets are the best tool we have identified to fulfill this first step. I encourage you to purchase these offsets, and if you believe that they are insufficient, purchase two and make your travel carbon negative. I think worldwide research institutions should step up and reimburse this as a part of doing business. Thus, I am planning to submit my offset purchase as part of my travel costs, and I encourage others to do so as well. Next year, thanks to changing international airline regulations, it will be automatically included in the airfare.

I do not mean to imply that carbon offsets are the only step that is required to bring our activities into sustainability, but just the first step. It is also true they have multiple issues. Firstly, it's a new and largely unregulated area with the possibility of the funds going to poorly targeted projects. My impression is that the offset industry is maturing to more scientifically and economically motivated targets. And, of course, offsets are much criticized for being the equivalent to throwing trash out your car window and then paying someone to clean it up. Why not just skip the offending action? Of course, for us this means skipping (or vastly reshaping) our annual meeting. That is not off the table and is a topic for our newly formed Ad Hoc Committee on Sustainability. We already have many virtual study group meetings, and I hope to start experimenting with a virtual workshop soon. But we need to conduct these experiments prior to large-scale changes in the annual meeting structure.

Additionally, we have supported and encouraged our Central Office's efforts to improve our sustainability over the years through actions such as the minimization of printed material (and its accompanying shipping impact), as well as elimination of the program book and the conference bag. Additionally, we now prioritize the use of venues that are environmentally accredited (e.g. thru the LEEDs certification program) and carefully consider staff travel needs. See https://www.ismrm.org/20m/sustainability/ for a more complete list. In short, global warming is not something we have a ready solution for, but we openly recognize that changes in our practices are coming.

The final (please!) meeting threat is the recent coronavirus outbreak occurring mainly in China but poised to spread. I can assure you that the memory of another coronavirus, the 2003 SARS outbreak in Toronto just before our annual meeting there, still elicits shivers of fear in the Central Office and others involved in that meeting. While there are many similarities, a lot has been learned since that first SARS victim entered an (unfortunately) positively pressured hospital room in Guangdong in Feb. 2003. Every virus is different, and it still remains to be seen how difficult to manage this one will be. I assure you, we will be monitoring the WHO assessments. But we are encouraged that Sydney (unlike Toronto) is not starting as an epicenter. Also, the Chinese response has been unprecedented. And other countries are establishing controls much faster than they did with SARS. While my sympathies go out to the 100 million people (!) affected by the travel controls in China and those relocated to build the multiple 1000 bed isolation centers being constructed in a matter of days (!), we will likely be among the beneficiaries. Finally, I would also like to ask everyone in our Society to recognize the amazing efforts of Wuhan healthcare providers and other medical staff who saw their New Year's holiday converted into around-the-clock shifts caring for and containing this outbreak.

I wish you all SAFE travel and fulfillment of your clinical and research duties, and I am looking forward to seeing you all in Sydney.

Lawrence L. Wald, Ph.D.
2019-2020 ISMRM President

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ISMRM PASSES GAVEL TO NEW PRESIDENT LAWRENCE L. WALD, PH.D., IN MONTRÉAL, QC, CANADA

CONCORD, CA, USA, MAY 2019

The International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) concluded its Annual Meeting in Montréal, Canada, with the passing of the presidential gavel on Wednesday, 15 May 2019, to Lawrence L. Wald, Ph.D., current professor of radiology at the A. A. Martinos Center, MGH, Charlestown, MA, USA.

"After the stimulating whirlwind of the annual meeting in Montréal, it's a pleasure to return home and reflect a bit on that experience and the year ahead. It is with honor and some trepidation that I begin my term serving as president of this Society and, together with you, continue the push to advance medicine through improved imaging," said Lawrence L. Wald.

As president for the 2019-2020 term, Wald will continue to lead the charge of nurturing this diverse and close-knit MR community into the future. Wald stated, "to quote the recently deceased physicist Murray Gell-Mann; "Our work is a delightful game." In Montréal, you could practically see the wheels turning as ideas were presented and dissected, approaches and applications debated, and plans put into place for implementation and testing. This sequence underscores the importance of the underlying construction of our slightly unusual Society. Our "soup-to-nuts" goal requires bridging diverse expertise and types of training, from the basic sciences and engineering, to the clinical sciences and clinical practice including the actual delivery of care. That is why we are so careful to foster this complete spectrum of Ph.D.'s, M.D.'s and MR Technologists and Radiographers and cultivate collaboration between them. I don't know of many other organizations who operate with this bandwidth.

So, I am pleased to enter into another cycle of this "delightful game" and work with you to foster new ideas and collaborations. Join me in reaching out to potential new members and working to leverage the broad expertise in our community to extend our vision with MR."

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TWO PEOPLE, ONE PASSION: A JOINT Q & A WITH ISMRM PRESIDENT PIA C. MALY SUNDGREN M.D., PH.D., AND SMRT PRESIDENT CHRIS KOKKINOS, B.APPL.SC., PG.CERT.(MRI).

CONCORD, CA, USA, February 2019

I recently spoke with both society presidents to discuss their passion for and interest in magnetic resonance (MR) and to get a sense of a day in the life for both.

1. Why did you choose MR as a focus in your career path?

Pia: I was very fortunate to be at a department of radiology that had an MR scanner installed quite early. As my field is neuroradiology, an area that was very suitable for investigations with MR very early on, it was not hard to be triggered and excited about what MR could show. Also, I had great senior faculty with the interest and a fabulous group of MR physicists in Lund, so for me it was a natural choice to focus on MR neuroimaging.

Chris: Early in my career as a radiographer, although I had gained experience in various imaging modalities, it was always MRI that I had a keen interest in specializing in. Perhaps this was because it was a relatively new and evolving modality at the time and I could see the scope it had to continue to develop. This meant that it would keep me interested while ensuring I would have the opportunity to continue to learn and develop. I loved that the principles and physics of magnetic resonance could be utilized on the fly by the radiographer/technologist to modify imaging parameters that influence the weighting and the quality of the resultant image.

The opportunity to work in a field where different professionals and specialists work collaboratively was also appealing, as was the ability to work directly with patients. Many patients can find the experience of undergoing an MRI examination quite intimidating, and I have always found patient care to be an essential and enjoyable part of the job.

2. What does a typical work day look like for you?

Pia: As the academic head of my department since 2009 and also now recently co-director for Lund Bioimaging Center, a lot of my time is spent on administration, grant writing, teaching medical students and supervising my 4 Ph.D. students, who all are involved in different projects related to MR of the brain. In addition, as I am a frequently invited lecturer, I am frequently preparing for these lectures by reading and updating myself on the latest advances. I do not only do this for lectures but my pleasure and for my research. I only work clinically 1 day a week. I love reading and discovering new exciting cases, and I love the clinical conferences where I interact with clinical pediatric neurologists, pediatric neurosurgeons, and oncologists. I always learn something new from them and can bring some insights to the images to my clinical colleagues.

As part of my research, I have daily interactions with our great MR technicians, and I am always closely collaborating with a great team of MR physicists. Both groups are essential not only for the research but also for our clinical work. Especially the close collaboration with the MR physicists, it is crucial for the research I do. However, without the great MR technicians that are performing our research studies, it would not work. In addition, much of research I do with my Ph.D. students are on patients. I have the possibility to interact with neurosurgeons, neuro-oncologists and pediatric neurologists as well as with rheumatologists as they are co-partners in several projects.

Chris: My role as an operations manager at Epworth, a large private hospital in Melbourne, sees me managing staff from various specialty groups across many imaging modalities. At my facility, we image a mix of inpatients, outpatients and patients that present through the hospital's emergency department. It is rewarding to find that I can still use many of the workflows and processes that I had fine-tuned as a manager in MR over the years to help improve efficiencies in the other modalities which I now have oversight of. My job keeps me constantly engaged, and I enjoy the problem solving and the daily interactions I have with radiologists, radiographers, nursing staff, and our administration team, as well as researchers, physicists, and engineers. MRI, and medical imaging as a whole, is unique because so many groups must work collaboratively to achieve the best outcome for our patients.

3. What does a great partnership look like in your facility and how does trust play a role?

Pia: I think the close collaboration or partnership between the MR technicians are essential and trust is crucial to make sure that you get the best results regarding images regardless if for clinical purpose or for research. I believe the same goes for the MR technicians towards me. They need to trust my faculty colleagues and me and to believe in what we want to achieve together. Personally, I have limited collaboration with the industry, but that is by choice just to make sure I have no conflict of interest. However, I collaborate a lot with colleagues and MR physicists that have connections and partnerships with the industry, and I think that is great and beneficial for all parts and something that I promote.

Chris: Any great partnership requires a shared common vision and purpose. Working collaboratively with colleagues and peers from different specialty-groups and professions is integral to the success of an MRI department. Building trust and openness while always recognizing the value and contribution of all employees is crucial.

At our facility, the radiologists, radiographers/technologists, nurses, administration team and physicists all work collaboratively to ensure that our department runs efficiently and that the patient experience and outcome is second to none. We also work closely with our research partners and vendors to realize our goals. In my opinion, a strong working relationship between the MR radiographer/technologist and MR radiologist is crucial. The radiographer/technologist must understand what it is the radiologist requires for diagnosis and must have the ability and skills to work autonomously to achieve a quality scan that will enable a diagnosis to be made. In a great partnership, the radiologist will trust in the abilities of their radiographer/technologist to perform the most suitable scan for every patient based on the clinical indication provided.

4. What is your favorite part about your job?

Pia: The fruitful discussions with brilliant colleagues, reading interesting cases and watching my Ph.D. students grow and become independent. If you ask me what I do not like, it is the boring meetings that just generate new meetings and the sometimes ridiculous administration that you have to spend time on—as well as to have to fight for the value of research in a clinical environment.

Chris: The people! I enjoy interacting and engaging with staff on all different levels of the organization and across all imaging modalities. Working with a variety of people, each with different skill sets, makes my work day enjoyable. I like to mentor and train my staff to become highly skilled operators of the MRI scanner. Educating someone to interpret the clinical indication on a request form and then optimize MRI sequence parameters to produce the highest quality scan for that patient is far more valuable and rewarding than just showing someone how to push a few buttons.

5. What would you tell your younger self about your future in MR?

Pia: Keep on doing what you love to do! You will have a lot to learn and a lot to investigate. I hope to go on for a few more years until retirement (maybe even after that).

Chris: Get involved from the outset and don't be intimidated by the wider MR community, be they technologists, radiologists, clinicians, researchers or physicists. We all work together and collaboratively. Every group has something essential to contribute to the field of MRI and always be confident in the knowledge that your role as an MR radiographer/technologist is just as crucial to the outcome of the scan and the result for the patient as any other. Continue to learn and develop as the field grows and expands. Your career will benefit significantly through continuing professional development, and through networking and collaborating with other MR professionals. Early involvement in the SMRT and ISMRM will give you an amazing opportunity to do this.

6. Why should people consider going into the MR field?

Pia: The fast development in the field, the increasing use worldwide, the many exciting research areas ranging from sequences development, implementation both in research as well as in clinical routine. Having the opportunity to work, learn and interact with colleague's from different backgrounds. There is always a place for everyone.

Chris: MRI is a dynamic and fast-paced modality that continues to evolve. The role of the MR radiographer/technologist is multifaceted, providing an exciting opportunity to combine a knowledge of anatomy and physics with the practical skills of communication and clinical care to improve patient outcomes. Every day in MRI is a different day that will present new challenges and opportunities, and for me this is what makes MRI so unique and exciting—and never boring!

7. What are you looking forward to seeing or experiencing at the next annual meeting?

Pia: As this year's president of ISMRM, I hope that everyone feels included at the Montréal meeting and that everyone will find a part of the meeting that thrills their imagination and curiosity. I want to see our members take the opportunity to interact, discuss, and meet and to build networks for future collaborations and discussions. But most important of all to have fun and enjoy the atmosphere of being at the best meeting ever—the ISMRM annual meeting & exhibition.

Chris: There is always an extensive range of exciting material to see at our annual meetings, ranging from novel research and advances in technology and scanning techniques, right through to a different take on an old topic. Meeting people that are new to the field and new to the SMRT and ISMRM is something I look forward to every year. Montréal this year will be no exception, and I look forward to the educational content that will be on offer. One of the most rewarding experiences of our annual meetings is the opportunity to re-connect and engage with old friends, colleagues, and peers at a face to face level. Regardless, of the fact that a year will have passed since our last meeting, the feeling is always like it was just yesterday when we last caught up. The SMRT and ISMRM community is global, and this fosters a unique opportunity for connecting and networking with MR professionals from various specialty groups around the world.

The ISMRM 27th Annual Meeting & Exhibition will be held at the Le Palais Des Congrés de Montréal, in Montréal, QC, Canada. The meeting opens 11 May and will welcome over 6,000 attendees specializing in the field of magnetic resonance. If you are interested in attending, register today.

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Elizabeth Morris:
Passionate ISMRM Member, Culture Czar, Equity Officer

By Parshy Phillips
September 2018

The International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) has appointed Elizabeth Morris, M.D., F.A.C.R., to the newly created position of Equity Officer.  This critical role will follow through with recent initiatives introduced at the Joint Annual Meeting ISMRM-ESMRMB to ensure the balance of gender bias and equality as it relates within ISMRM. I recently spoke with Dr. Morris regarding the position.  She touched on what the position is, how she was appointed, and why it was needed.

Tell us how this all started, why were you appointed to this position?

"I am thrilled to be a part of this pioneering position for our society.  I was in a committee meeting where one of the topics was the creation of an ad hoc group for women of ISMRM (WISMRM).  It was wonderful to see the support for such an initiative by everyone in the room – it was all men except for me!  As I was the only woman there, I became the co-chair of the committee and have been for the last two years.  I realized that women are one of many unrepresented groups within the society – but we have many other groups that are currently not recognized officially. ISMRM is one of the most unique societies I have been involved with – energetic, visionary, brilliant people – with real regard for equality and giving people a voice.  It is very unique and needs to be preserved.  The establishment of an Equity Officer by the ISMRM Board of Trustees is recognition of this ethos that has to me always been there – and is now a platform to see that all people have a voice and a home."

Why is this role so important to the culture of ISMRM and how will you get member "buy-in"?

"First of all this isn't just about gender, it starts with being open to the idea that all of us regardless of culture, gender, age, race, color, religion, sexual orientation, physical abilities, political beliefs, are valued.  We want to ensure everyone has equal opportunity and isn't discriminated against or treated differently, taking into consideration differences between people and placing a positive value on the differences while also being inclusive by creating environments in which a person or group of persons can feel welcomed, respected, supported and valued to participate fully."

It sounds like a big task, how will you get this started?

"I will develop an equity task force with representatives from various committees that are truly committed to the idea of creating equality, and these members will be the liaisons for individuals or groups of people.  We need to recruit diversity deliberately – committee members, speakers, moderators etc.  We will develop a Climate Survey that will ask questions to get a sense of what our membership feels about equity, diversity and inclusion.  We want to know what kinds of services/education people need to feel included.  We need to develop a mechanism for people to speak out if they feel not included.  I hope to have the equity task force serve this purpose.  In addition to the task force, I will be reaching out to industry professionals to help identify and use a web-based equity training program that can be used to help us with our efforts."

You are a successful businesswomen, can you share any professional challenges you've had?

"I can recall some professional challenges when I started the breast MR program at MSK as a young attending.  The male chair gave me exactly one MR slot per week on the scanner.  Breast MR was a new application, and I was an untested junior attending so I am assuming he thought it might be a waste to give me more.  When the new chair came – who happened to be a woman – she lifted that restriction and said I could have as many slots as I could fill.  That's when my research program started to take off, and we were able to establish a clinical and research service.  Also, the head of MR at the time wanted me to read out the exams with him even though I knew more about breast disease.  This went on for two years which was way too long.  None of the other attendings before or after me had to do this, so I assume this had to do with the fact that I was a young female junior faculty.  The challenge was that I was in for the long haul.  I did the best with what I was given at the time fully realizing the inequity of the situation.  At that time I bided my time patiently and tried to find ways to work around the situation.  Looking back I didn't directly confront anyone as I would today, however at that time I didn't have the confidence to fight for what I perceived to be an inequity.  I'm sure we all have our professional challenges that we have experienced, and this is why I am so passionate about the Equity Officer position."

Will you be reaching out to other members or professionals for support?

"I'd like to put a call out to all members that want to get more involved to help create the best ISMRM equity culture we can have.  Get connected with our ISMRM Facebook page, Twitter feed, MR Pulse blog or the Women of ISMRM blog as we will start introducing announcements in these locations.  If interested, anyone can email me directly at equity@ismrm.org about specific areas of interest and ideas.  I would love people who are enthusiastic with lots of energy to participate in this.  There was much interest from the annual meeting, and we need to keep the momentum going."

What are some of the checks and balances that any company could start implementing today?

"In any industry, leadership needs to set the tone.  Training staff and leadership in diversity will be important.  Equity begins with each of us.  This will need to be an inside-out type of analysis – not outside-in – we don't want anyone to feel that there will be imposed external "rules".  The Equity Officer position is not going to function as a policing force.  However, unacceptable environments will be brought to the Executive Committee, and consequences will be determined."

What shift would you like to see at ISMRM?

"I'd like for the society leadership to embrace this idea and be the ones actively promoting Equity Diversity and Inclusion.  I want ISMRM to be an example of how a society can create environments for individuals or groups to feel respected, welcomed, supported and valued so that their voices can be heard and they can fully participate in the ISMRM.  We will be stronger for it."

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ISMRM PASSES GAVEL TO NEW PRESIDENT PIA C. MALY SUNDGREN, M.D., PH.D., PARIS, FRANCE

CONCORD, CA, USA, July 2018 - The International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) concluded its Joint Annual Meeting in Paris, France, with the passing of the presidential gavel 21 June 2018 from Daniel K. Sodickson, M.D., Ph.D., to Pia C. Maly Sundgren, M.D., Ph.D., current Professor of Radiology at Lund University, Sweden.  This annual ritual provides a fresh look and leadership role for its dedicated members.

"As the newly appointed president, I want to bring the feeling of being proud to be a member of ISMRM, a philanthropic and humanitarian society that works to improve quality of life and health to people across the globe. One of my goals is to increase the number of M.D.'s as full members.  They have helped to build a solid, collaborative foundation for ISMRM and are an important partner for our society. It is also very important for the mainstream public to have a better understanding of ISMRM and the value of MR.  Our members do astonishing work in MR and we must make this life-changing work more visible to the public."  Dr. Sundgren said.

Will you continue the conversation of gender bias within the MR community?  "I want to see our work on unconscious bias progress, and we will establish guidelines to handle any form of harassment within the Society. This is a very important matter for the Society and I will certainly continue the discussion about gender bias as well as other unconscious bias within the ISMRM. I know there is a lot we can do regarding this topic. As mentioned in my closing remarks, an equality officer will be appointed as soon as possible to help the leadership set key performance measures and to support our efforts.

"I will, of course, continue to have a close collaboration both with the past president Dan Sodickson as well as with the vice president Larry Wald to ensure that what we have planned in the ISMRM strategic planning process and our new initiatives continue to be implemented. I will seek support and advice for new ideas from both the past and present leadership team to ensure the best outcome for the Society."

Are there any future plans to encourage more women to enter the field?  Pia said, "We will continue to support women that enter the field. However, the problem, as I see, is not so much that women do not enter the field but rather they leave after they are done with their training. I think we need to find out more about the reason behind women leaving. We need a better understanding so we can find ways to better support and increase the engagement from the Society to maintain women in the field. "

The Joint Annual Meeting ISMRM-ESMRMB was held at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, in Paris, France, with over 7,000 engaged attendees dedicated in the field of magnetic resonance participating.  The next ISMRM Annual Meeting will be held 11-16 May 2019 in Montréal, QC, Canada.

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SODICKSON: ISMRM CAN PLAY SHERIFF IN AI'S WILD WEST
By Philip Ward, AuntMinnie.com staff writer

PARIS, FRANCE, JUNE 19, 2018 – The imaging artificial intelligence (AI) landscape is like the Wild West right now, but the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) can act as the sheriff by providing vital scientific rigor, balance, and a healthy dose of skepticism, according to Dr. Daniel Sodickson, PhD, the society's president.

"There's some lawlessness, but also a very wide frontier with many possibilities," he said in an interview on Monday with AuntMinnieEurope.com. "AI does not mean simply taking algorithms and applying them -- we need to tailor the algorithms to the individual clinical case."

Patients must not see MRI as a loud tunnel that brings bad news, Dr. Daniel Sodickson said.

Speaking in Paris from this week's joint congress of the ISMRM and the European Society of MR in Medicine and Biology (ESMRMB), Sodickson admitted there is a lot of hype and "creative ferment" about AI, but the technology does promise to change in fundamental ways how MR scanners are designed, built, and used clinically.

Because the society has a global, multidisciplinary membership of more than 7,400 people representing a diverse range of different stakeholders, he is convinced it is particularly well placed to challenge assumptions and cut through the hype.

"It gives me some heart that there are scientists out there who are asking, 'Are you sure about that?' " noted Sodickson, who is vice-chair for research in the department of radiology at New York University Langone Medical Center. "Our members tend to understand the biological context in which AI needs to be seen."

Paris Draws the Crowds

By the end of 17 June, 6,057 professional attendees had registered onsite at ISMRM/ESMRMB 2018, which is a new record high for the meeting, and the final figure, including exhibitors and others, is likely to approach 8,000, he added.

Gender equality and unconscious bias are important issues at the meeting, and will be addressed in the Presidential Lecture on 20 June by Curt Rice, PhD, head of the Committee for Gender Balance and Diversity in Research and president of Oslo Metropolitan University in Norway. Rice has advised members of the Nobel Foundation's committees on the challenges faced in moving toward better gender balance in the awarding of the Nobel Prizes.

One example of imbalance is the ISMRM's own list of gold medalists, Sodickson said. Although two women (Dr. Christiane Kuhl in 2015 and Sharmila Majumdar, PhD, in 2016) are among the recent recipients, only four of the total number of 80 award-winners are women.

"We know that women have played an essential role in the ongoing development of our field," he pointed out. "In a year marked by long-overdue upheavals in the global conversation about gender and diversity, we hope that attendees of our meeting will take full advantage of this opportunity to look inward, and forward, together."

Ironically, though, both gold medalists at ISMRM 2018 -- announced on 18 June -- are U.S.-based men: Susumu Mori, PhD, professor at the Center of MR Microimaging in Johns Hopkins University, and Dwight Nishimura, PhD, professor of electrical engineering at Stanford University.

Tariffs on China

Sodickson said it's too early yet to determine what impact, if any, the U.S. government's decision to impose tariffs on equipment from China is likely to have on the MRI market. This decision was confirmed by the Trump administration last Friday. The number of Chinese members of the ISMRM is rising fast and companies from China are among the exhibitors in Paris, but the emphasis is on displaying innovations rather than selling equipment, he noted.

Another unresolved issue is the safety of gadolinium-based contrast agents for MRI.

"This is area of ongoing interest for us, and there are sessions about it being held this week," he said. "It's important to remember the value of these agents and not to deny our patients of the potential benefits from using them."

Sodickson said ISMRM also is making a concerted effort to reach out to clinical radiologists and convince them the society is relevant for both them. His overall aim, though, is to tell the story of MRI in a more positive way to physicians from other medical disciplines, as well as patients and the media."

I want to avoid people thinking of MRI as a loud tunnel that my doctor says I must go into and will give me bad news," he said.

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LEADING EXPERT AND RECTOR OF OSLO METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY, CURT RICE, IS SET TO DISCUSS THE SCIENCE OF UNCONSCIOUS BIAS AT THE JOINT ANNUAL MEETING ISMRM-ESMRMB IN PARIS, 16 – 21 JUNE 2018.

CONCORD, CA, USA, MAY 2018 - The International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) and the European Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine and Biology (ESMRMB) invite attendees at their joint annual meeting (www.ismrm.org) to attend the Presidential Lecture on 20 June featuring the leading expert on gender equality and unconscious bias, Curt Rice, Ph.D. The lecture is entitled "When the Right Thing to Do Is Also the Smart Thing to Do: Research & Results on Diversity in Research Organizations."

Rice is having the academic world rethink topics such as leadership development and gender balance as a tool to enhance and increase quality and performance as it applies to scientific results and research-based education. He leads Norway's Committee for Gender Balance and Diversity in Research and is heavily involved in many other leading organizations.

In a riveting post, Rice stated, "Gender equality has not yet been achieved in the workplaces of the western world. Research institutions have a special responsibility to contribute to progress. Knowledge gives insight as we identify the challenges that remain; our job is to deliver that knowledge. How will we know that gender equality has been achieved? One hallmark of true gender equality is that the sex of an employee does not affect processes such as hiring, evaluation, setting salaries, and other processes in the workplace."

ISMRM president Daniel K. Sodickson, M.D., Ph.D., says, "It is one of our Society's core values to connect diverse constituencies -- for example, clinicians and basic scientists from countries around the world -- and at this we truly excel. Nevertheless, we still have a long way to go in leveraging, and reflecting, the true diversity of our membership. To cite just one concrete example: of the 80 Gold Medals the ISMRM has conferred, only 4 have gone to women, though we know that women have played an essential role in the ongoing development of our field. For our inaugural President's Lecture at our Annual Meeting this year in Paris, we have sought out a true international leader to present to our evidence-based community with some of the emerging evidence about diversity, inclusion, and unconscious bias in scientific communities like ours. Curt Rice is just such a leader. The president of Oslo Metropolitan University and head of Norway's Committee on Gender Balance and Diversity in Research, Curt was recently invited by the Nobel Foundation to address the members of all the Nobel Committees regarding the challenges they face in moving towards better gender balance in the awarding of the Nobel Prizes. In a year marked by long-overdue upheavals in the global conversation about gender and diversity, we hope that attendees of our meeting will take full advantage of this opportunity to look inward, and forward, together."

The joint ISMRM-ESMRMB annual meeting with be held at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, in Paris, France. The meeting opens 16 June and will welcome over 6,000 attendees specializing in the field of magnetic resonance. If you are interested in attending, register today. You don't want to miss this informative meeting in this dream location.

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Press Release re Ferumoxytol
Supplemental material:

• Article on Current and potential imaging applications of ferumoxytol for magnetic resonance imaging
• Listing of supplemental reading material
• Slides from presentation