Each year, the College awards individuals whose work and dedication advances and strengthens the specialty. Spanning continents and subspecialties, this year’s recipients include individuals from across the community of imaging. Commendations will be awarded at the 2021 ACR Annual Meeting, taking place virtually in May.
GOLD MEDAL
The Gold Medal is awarded by the BOC to an individual for distinguished and extraordinary service to the ACR or to radiology. View the list of past recipients at acr.org/GoldMedal.
BARRY A. SIEGEL, MD, FACR
The world of PET imaging would look very different without the work of Barry A. Siegel, MD, FACR, professor of radiology and medicine and former chief of the division of nuclear medicine at Washington University School of Medicine. Throughout his career, Siegel has focused on bringing PET technology to clinical practice through his extensive translational research. Siegel’s efforts have resulted in PET imaging emerging as a major clinical and research tool, increasing physicians’ ability to predict and monitor patients’ response to cancer treatment.
When Siegel began his undergraduate studies at Washington University, he couldn’t have known that the institution would become the setting for his groundbreaking research. He completed medical school at the Washington University School of Medicine, followed by an internship at the affiliated Barnes Hospital in St. Louis, Mo., and then by residency in diagnostic radiology and a fellowship in nuclear medicine at the University’s Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology.
At Washington University, Siegel helped develop some of the first practical PET imaging devices and led the way for research into patient-care opportunities. As chief of the nuclear medicine division, Siegel and his team pioneered the use of both conventional and novel agents in studying breast, prostate, cervical, and other cancers. Throughout his career, Siegel has published more than 300 journal articles, 53 book chapters, and 33 books.
Alongside these efforts, Siegel has worked continuously within the ACR. He played a key role with ACRIN (now ECOGACRIN) from its inception, serving as chair of the Nuclear Medicine/PET Committee, medical director of the PET Core Laboratory, and group deputy co-chair for molecular imaging. He currently serves as imaging deputy co-chair of the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group. Siegel has also been actively involved in the ACR Commission on Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging and served as vice chair from 1981 to 1993, and was editor-in-chief of the ACR Professional Self-Evaluation and Continuing Education Program from 1988 through 2002.
Consistent with Siegel’s quest for evidence-based nuclear medicine, he and his colleagues developed the National Oncologic PET Registry (NOPR). Under his leadership as the founding co-chair of the NOPR Working Group, the data developed by the registry was instrumental in securing broad CMS coverage for use of FDG-PET in the evaluation of patients with cancer.
Siegel has spent the past four decades working tirelessly to bring PET imaging to the forefront. His work has transformed PET imaging from a tool strictly for brain research to a major clinical and research modality helping patients with a wide range of conditions.
CHERI L. CANON, MD, FACR, FSAR, FAAWR
Cheri L. Canon, MD, FACR, FSAR, FAAWR, professor and Witten-Stanley Endowed Chair of the department of radiology at the University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB) School of Medicine, has been described by one ACR past president as “the best of the best.” Canon has risen to a respected leadership position at UAB, he notes, in a time and in a region where diversity is only now being embraced.
Some of Canon’s most notable accomplishments have been in the realm of diversity, equity, and inclusion. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Society of Chairs of Academic Radiology Departments and is currently its president, only the second woman to hold this position. In her leadership role with the society, she championed the adoption of parental leave, which was subsequently supported by the Association of Program Directors in Radiology. She was also the co-creator and co-director of the SCARD-GE Healthcare LEAD (Leading, Empowering, and Disrupting) Women’s Leadership program. To date, the program is recognized as a model for empowering rising women leaders in radiology.
However, as one colleague pointed out, Canon’s leadership and mentoring abilities are not confined to radiology. She is the past president of MOMENTUM, an organization in Alabama that empowers a diverse group of promising women to develop leadership skills that positively impact business, culture, and politics. Her dedication to mentorship and sponsorship over the years is evident in many of the College’s current efforts to encourage aspiring radiologists to break down traditional barriers.
Canon has been involved with the ACR since 1996, when she was the resident representative from the Alabama Academy of Radiology at the ACR’s annual meeting. She has served on more than two dozen ACR committees/commissions — chairing several — and has served on the ACR BOC, including as vice president. Canon became an ACR Fellow in 2012, just 14 years after completing her residency. With her work on the executive committee of the Intersociety Conference, Canon drafted the professionalism statement adopted by many professional societies and included as part of maintenance of certification attestation.
She was a founding member of the board of directors for the ACR’s Radiology Leadership Institute® and serves on the board of directors for the Association of University Radiologists. Additionally, she serves on the board of directors for the Society of Abdominal Radiology and has staffed multiple editorial boards, notably the JACR®, for which she has received Recognition of Exceptional Manuscript Review.
Canon serves on the ABR Board of Governors and is the recipient of the ABR Lifetime Service Award. Last year, the American Association for Women in Radiology bestowed her with their highest honor, the Marie Curie Award, and UAB recognized her with the President’s Award for teaching. She has delivered many talks by invitation at numerous national and international universities and conferences. She has served as visiting professor at a host of institutions and authored nearly 70 publications — many seen as gamechangers in diversity and inclusion, parental leave, and wellness and professionalism.
PAUL A. LARSON, MD, FACR
Paul A. Larson, MD, FACR, is described by his colleagues as a true luminary, an icon, and an ambassador for radiology — an individual who has worked tirelessly over 33 years to improve the specialty, its practitioners, and its patients.
Larson is a graduate of Northwestern University and the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. He completed his residency training at Saint Vincent’s Hospital in Worcester, Mass., and subsequently a fellowship in IR at Medical College of Wisconsin. “Murray L. Janower, MD, FACR, a former ACR President and Gold Medalist, was the chief of radiology and residency director at St. Vincent’s and was very influential to my career,” says Larson.
After fellowship, his professional career was spent in private practice with Radiology Associates of Fox Valley in Wisconsin, where he remains one of the state’s most well-recognized radiologists. He has held many officer positions in the Wisconsin Radiological Society since 1989, including board member, ACR Councilor, chair of the Fellowship Committee, and president from 2005 to 2006.
Larson initially served the College as a member of the Human Resources Commission from 1991 through 1997. This began a long tenure of service to the College, during which he served on over 40 positions within the College’s task forces, committees, and commissions. He served on the CSC from 2001 through 2006 and on the BOC from 2007 through 2013.
Larson served as chair of the Commission on Quality and Safety from 2006 through 2012, during which time the College’s accreditation program flourished. During his tenure, the Commission supported Image Gently® and helped create Image Wisely®. He also helped lead the College’s participation in the Choosing Wisely® campaign. He helped with improvements to the ACR Appropriateness Criteria®, including increased use of references and input from non-radiologists. The Commission also added relative radiation levels for the various exams, which helped set the stage for the ACR Select® clinical decision support tool. Larson had a major role at a much earlier time in transforming the ACR Standards to the Practice Guidelines and Technical Standards, starting with the Task Force on Standards Issues in 2001. That work led to his position as vice chair of guidelines and standards when the Commission on Quality and Safety was renamed and restructured under Jeffrey C. Weinreb, MD, FACR. His service to the College culminated in his role as vice president from 2012 to 2013.
Larson has served in numerous positions with the RSNA, the ABR, his county and state medical societies, his hospitals, and in the Oshkosh community, especially with the Oshkosh Area United Way.
A long-time advocate for RTs, he continues to serve on the board of the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists, and his tenure as that organization’s president from 2018 to 2019 was so well-received that he was selected to serve a second term starting in 2021. He will be the first two-time president in 40 years.
HONORARY FELLOWSHIP
The Honorary Fellowship award recognizes the contributions to radiology by individuals who are ineligible for ACR Fellowship. View the list of past recipients at acr.org/HonoraryFellow.
SNEH BHARGAVA, MBBS
India
An internationally respected leader in radiology education, Sneh Bhargava, MBBS, is the medical director of Sitaram Bhartia Institute of Science and Research and chair of the department of radiology at Dharamshila Narayana Super Specialty Hospital, both in New Delhi, India. She is professor emeritus of the department of radiology at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi.
Bhargava received her medical degree from Lady Hardinge Medical College in New Delhi and completed her fellowship in diagnostic radiology at Westminster Medical School (now known as the Imperial College School of Medicine) in London. She returned to India with a diploma in medical radio diagnosis awarded from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons.
Bhargava joined AIIMS as an assistant professor and later became professor and chair of the department of radiology. She was involved in the development of the department's postgraduate medical school program, in which she worked to set standards for radiology education throughout India. She also advocated for the first CT scanner and US machine for AIIMS, which created new avenues of medical assistance for local patients, as well as patients from Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.
Named the first female director of AIIMS and still the only one in its 60-year history, Bhargava also served as chair of the hospital board of directors. Over her 30-year career at AIIMS, she helped establish the departments of neuroradiology, cardiovascular radiology, oncoradiology, pediatric radiology, and IR. She also established the Medical Education and Technology Center at AIIMS, to explore the science of medical education and prepare to educate future generations of medical students.
According to RSNA Past President Vijay M. Rao, MD, FACR, “Dr. Bhargava is a true pioneer with an unrelenting zeal for learning. Her tenure at AIIMS has left an undeniable mark on medicine as she trained and mentored generations of radiologists.”
Bhargava is a former president of the Indian Radiology and Imaging Association (IRIA) and has served as chair of several committees for the Medical Council of India. She has received numerous lifetime achievement awards, including the Millennium Award 2000 from IRIA. She also received the Padma Shri, one of the highest civilian awards in India, for her distinguished contributions to medicine. She was also awarded an honorary membership to the RSNA at the Society’s 2018 annual meeting.
MICHAEL BAUMANN, MD
Germany
Michael Baumann, MD, chair and scientific director at the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg, Germany, is described by friends and peers as a brilliant visionary — a dedicated leader in the field of radiation oncology — defined by his reputation for humility and capacity for listening.
Baumann received his doctorate in medicine from the University of Hamburg in 1988, including work in biophysics and radiation biology. He also pursued post-doctoral work at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School — leading to definitive in vitro and in vivo studies in radiobiology.
At a time when many academic and practicing radiation oncologists favored molecular and cell biology over in vitro modeling, Baumann saw the synergistic value of classic radiobiology models for the advancement of oncologic sciences. This led to numerous preclinical and clinical studies throughout his career toward the advancement of radiobiology and radiation oncology. His work includes over 430 scientific papers ranging from in vitro laboratory science to large-scale clinical trials to investigating biologically-driven, image-guided radiotherapy strategies to improve outcome for patients.
Baumann has been editor-in-chief of Radiotherapy and Oncology since 2014 and serves on the editorial boards of multiple radiation biology publications. Baumann founded the Dresden site of the National Center for Tumor Diseases in 2015, later moving to Heidelberg, where he continues to serve as scientific director and chair of the Management Board of the German Cancer Research Center and as national spokesperson of the German Cancer Consortium.
Baumann’s commitment to the international battle against cancer has been rewarded with a host of awards and honors. He is a member of the German National Academy of Sciences-Leopoldina and an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Surgeons in Ireland and Honorary Member of the Polish Society for Oncology and of the Polish Society for Radiation Oncology. He has Honorary Professorships from Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland, and from Tianjin Medical University, China. Baumann has delivered honorary lectureships at Harvard Medical School, Oxford University, the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, and the Royal Marsden Hospital in London.
Teaching has been at the core of Baumann’s work to eradicate cancer. He has mentored more than 50 doctoral students during his career. As one of Baumann’s colleagues put it, “He has strength and passion when discussing topics near to his heart and his deep care for cancer patients as people transforms those around him.”
FIONA J. GILBERT, MD
United Kingdom
Fiona J. Gilbert, MD, professor of radiology and head of the radiology department at the University of Cambridge, is described by her colleagues as one of the leading academic radiologists in the United Kingdom and the world. Gilbert completed medical school in Glasgow, Scotland, and trained in medicine and then radiology at the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary in Scotland. In 1989, as breast cancer screening was coming to the fore, Gilbert established the Breast Cancer Screening Service in the northeast of Scotland, a program she directed for the next 10 years. In 1996, Gilbert was appointed professor of radiology and head of the department at the University of Aberdeen. She was involved in the review and curation of all bone tumors in Scotland for 10 years as a member of the Scottish Bone Tumor Registry. In this capacity, Gilbert provided imaging expertise in a multidisciplinary panel composed of pathologists, orthopedic surgeons, and oncologists to ensure that the people of Scotland received the best oncologic care for MSK malignancies. Gilbert also helped set up the Scottish Interval Cancer Database and provided quality assurance to these programs, as well as educational support for both symptomatic and screening services for over 20 years.
Gilbert was appointed chair of radiology at Cambridge University in 2011, where she has continued to fight for the best care possible for the population she serves. Gilbert holds the posts of academic lead for radiology at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, as well as chair of the Cambridge Health Imaging Committee. She served as an anchor for imaging expertise in breast cancer at the National Cancer Research Institute, where she chaired the Imaging Advisory Group and co-led the PET research committee giving advice on imaging for clinical trials. She provided all of this national service in parallel to her duties at Cambridge University, as well as her service to professional societies including the Royal College of Radiology, where she participated vigorously in breast cancer initiatives and promoting research.
Gilbert has published more than 230 articles in peer-reviewed journals and secured millions of dollars’ worth of funding from 77 grants. She is president of the European Society of Breast Imaging, chair of the Breast Imaging Subcommittee of the Scientific Program Committee of the RSNA, and past chair of the Breast Committee of the European Congress of Radiology.
DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
The Distinguished Achievement Award recognizes highly notable service to the College and the profession of radiology. View the list of past recipients at acr.org/DistinguishedService.
DONALD W. MORAN
Donald W. Moran will receive the College’s Distinguished Achievement Award for his extensive contributions to ACR efforts on provider reimbursement, economics, and healthcare policy.
Moran’s career in health policy and advocacy began with an undergraduate degree in mathematics from the University of Illinois, followed by graduate work at the University of Michigan. He began his career in Washington, D.C., as a senior policy advisor for a leading member of Congress and culminated his federal career as the third highest executive staff and head of the domestic budget operation for the Office of Management and Budget, as part of the Executive Office for President Ronald Reagan. Moran was in his early thirties when he assumed these responsibilities. From there, Moran joined the private sector where he provided valuable data, analytics, and insight that informed healthcare regulation and reimbursement strategies as a senior partner for The Lewin Group, a healthcare consulting company for both the federal government and private sector clients. He started his own consulting firm, the Moran Company, in 1998, after a 24-year career in the health and human services fields.
“Don’s role in crafting the policy that Congress adopted to roll back the Multiple Procedure Payment Reduction returned millions of dollars to radiologists in the country,” says ACR Past President James A. Brink, MD, FACR. “Moreover, his guidance in developing the PAMA legislation enabled millions of Medicare beneficiaries to avoid the burden of preauthorization, a clear hindrance to timely access to medical care.” Moran has also been instrumental in supporting the College’s government relations and economics teams in their efforts to reduce the impact of reimbursement reductions that were planned for 2021. He played an invaluable role in overturning CMS on their E/M policy with legislation that will benefit every member of the College in the passage of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021.
Nominees for 2021 Positions
At the annual meeting, the ACR Council will vote on the following slate of candidates recommended by the College Nominating Committee.
ACR President
Beverly G. Coleman, MD, FACR
ACR Vice President
James V. Rawson, MD, FACR
Council Speaker
Amy L. Kotsenas, MD, FACR
Council Vice Speaker
Timothy A. Crummy, MD, FACR
Madelene C. Lewis, MD
BOC, Chair, Commission on Leadership and Practice Development (Slotted) — Three-Year Term
Richard Duszak Jr., MD, FACR
BOC, Chair, Commission on Medical Physics (Slotted) — 2nd Three-Year Term
Mahadevappa Mahesh, MS, PhD, FACR
BOC, Chair, Commission on Pediatric Radiology (Slotted) — 2nd Three-Year Term
Richard A. Barth, MD, FACR
BOC — ARRS Representative (Selected) — Three-Year Term
Reginald F. Munden, MD, DMD, MBA, FACR
BOC — Canadian Association of Radiologists (CAR) Representative (Selected) — Two-Year Term
Ania Z. Kielar, MD
BOC — RSNA Representative (Selected) — 2nd Three-Year Term
Mary C. Mahoney, MD, FACR
BOC, Member At-Large (Slotted) — Three-Year Term
Harris L. Cohen, MD, FACR
Catherine J. Everett, MD, MBA, FACR
Tan-Lucien H. Mohammed, MD, FACR
Richard Strax, MD, FACR
Syed Furqan H. Zaidi, MD
CSC — Four seats are available for a two-year term.
Sayed Ali, MD, FACR
K. Elizabeth Hawk, MD, MS, PhD
Elizabeth A. Ignacio, MD
Nolan J. Kagetsu, MD, FACR
Patricia J. Mergo, MD, FACR
Jennifer E. Nathan, MD
John N. Nichols, MD, FACR
Kurt A. Schoppe, MD
Gaurang V. Shah, MD, FACR
College Nominating Committee — Three seats are available for a two-year term.
Atul Agarwal, MD
David T. Boyd, MD, MBA
Gwendolyn M. Bryant-Smith, MD
Benjamin L. Franc, MD
Boyd N. Hatton, MD
Betsy Jacobs, MD
Valerie L. Jewells, DO, FACR
Elizabeth Levin, MD
Colin M. Segovis, MD, PhD
One Private Practice Representative will be sent to the 2021–2022 Intersociety Summer Conference.
Suresh K. Mukherji, MD, FACR
The election manual, featuring detailed information on the candidates, will be available to all councilors prior to ACR 2021 at acr.org/Annual-Meeting.