A Century of Impact: Coming Together to Make a Difference

By Alexander Utano, associate editor, ACR Press

Radiologists have a reputation for overcoming challenges — whether here at home or on the international stage. Educating other physicians on the integral role the specialty plays in patient care isn’t always easy and can be particularly challenging when the radiology community is working to make the most basic imaging services available in certain countries. Limited funding and access to new medical technology are hurdles, and getting international stakeholders on the same page is no small feat.

The International Society of Radiology (ISR) has been working on these types of issues since 1925, bringing together thought leaders from the specialty to help lower- and middle-income countries (LMICs) with imaging care. “We’re looking to make educational programming available, specifically to parts of our community who might not have access to things like medical libraries or conference travel,” says Geraldine B. McGinty, MD, MBA, FACR, chair of education for the ISR and past chair of the ACR BOC.

As the ISR gets ready to celebrate its centennial year, it’s important to understand this organization and the impact it can have on radiology around the globe. It unites over 75 national and continental radiological societies, including the European Society of Radiology (ESR), Asian Oceanian Society of Radiology, the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) and ACR, to exchange ideas on how to best provide access to imaging for patients across the world.

International Education

To achieve this goal, members of the ISR must first make radiological education accessible. “We want to improve health in low-income countries, and the best way to do that is primarily through education,” says Bibb Allen Jr., MD, FACR, president of the ISR. “That means providing targeted content or making content available online for no charge to the people that need it. We hold on-site conferences and training, including conferences with the International Atomic Energy Agency. People attend and then return to their home countries to teach their colleagues what they learned about new procedures or technology.”

 

It starts with understanding the problems associated with the lack of availability of advanced diagnostic imaging such as CT, MRI and nuclear medicine in LMICs, including the impact certain illnesses are having on the population. “Noncommunicable diseases, such as cancer, stroke and heart disease, are reaching epidemic proportions in LMICS and are having a big impact on health and mortality in these underserved areas,” Allen says. “Without imaging, diagnosis is delayed and treatment options become limited and so, without appropriate imaging, there’s really nothing we can do to curb the mortality.”

As the College continues to support the ISR, ACR members should familiarize themselves with the society’s work — what the international body does and how it impacts global radiology. Because the ISR has a globally diverse membership, its reach may go further than many realize. “College members think of ACR as their voice with policymakers here in the U.S. The ISR is our voice with policymakers globally,” McGinty says. “The WHO calls these organizations nonstate actors. We tend to call them nongovernmental organizations, and the ISR is the official nongovernmental organization that the WHO goes to about all-things radiology.”

Foundations and Trailblazing Programs

One fundamental way the ISR impacts radiology training programs in LMICs is through funding. In the past, the ISR was only able to raise money through member dues, which are kept low so countries in underserved areas can participate, Previously, any donations to the ISR could be subject to federal tax in the United States. Creating the ISR Béclère-Fuchs Foundation as a 501c3 tax-exempt nonprofit organization in January 2025 paved the way for nontaxable donations to further the mission of the mission of the ISR. “This is the way to raise money — from industry, societies, individuals and other foundations to support ISR missions,” says Boris Brkljačić, MD, PhD, FACR, incoming ISR president.

One of the unique (and successful) programs the ISR has supported is AfricaAI. It started when Karim Lekadir, PhD, mathematics and computer science professor at the University of Barcelona, teamed up with the International Conference on Medical Image Computing and Computer Assisted Intervention (known as MICCAI) to set up training sessions for radiologists in LMICs. After this training, physicians would become familiar with the latest advancements in AI and take their newfound expertise back to their own countries. To date, more than 30 countries have participated. “The ISR recognizes the growing role of AI in scaling imaging services,” Brkljačić says. “Under the leadership of Lekadir, projects like adapting obstetric ultrasound AI for use in LMICs exemplify how AI can be customized to meet the clinical and epidemiological needs of LMICs. Our efforts have expanded to Southeast Asia and Latin America, proving successful so far.”

One of the AfricaAI projects employs a technique called transfer learning to adapt AI models developed for populations in high income countries to the local populations in underserved areas. Transfer learning involves taking an AI model developed in one geographic area and introducing it into the population in a different region. “If you build an AI model for a specific problem, and it works great where it was trained, and you take that model to in Kenya, it probably won’t work as well due to differences in the patient populations.” Allen says. “Local data scientists can use the techniques they are being taught in the AfricaAI project to make AI models developed in high-income countries adaptable to their patients LMICs.”

Future Plans

2025 kicks off ISR’s centennial year, and the celebration will continue through May 2026, culminating in the International Congress of Radiology meeting, May 14–16, in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia. “This promotion is in collaboration with the other ACR, the Colombian Association of Radiology, which is hosting the conference” McGinty says. “We will be doing a lot of programming around the history of the society and what we hope to accomplish.”

The ISR plans to have a presence at multiple events worldwide, including the RSNA’s annual meeting (Nov. 30–Dec. 4, 2025) and the ESR’s annual meeting (March 4-8, 2026). Staying vigilant and visible, the ISR will continue to promote international radiology initiatives through its website — and hopefully attract more individuals who want to make a difference on the global stage. “We are focused on improving health, quality and safety,” Allen says, “particularly in areas of the world where access to imaging services remains unequal.”