RSNA Recognizes Honorary Members, Outstanding Educator and Outstanding Researcher

During RSNA 2023, RSNA presented awards for significant achievement in the field of radiology

Honorary Members

Aghiad Al-Kutoubi, MD

A champion of advancing interventional radiology throughout the Middle East and the world, Aghiad Al-Kutoubi, MD, earned his stripes during the golden era of vascular imaging, and he has lent his legacy to multiple generations of trainees.

Dr. Al-Kutoubi was born in Damascus, Syria, and he earned his medical degree from Damascus University in 1975. He then moved to the United Kingdom for his post-graduate training, during a time when advanced imaging techniques including ultrasound, CT, and MR imaging were coming into their own in clinical practice. At St. Mary's Hospital at the University of London—now part of Imperial College—Dr. Al-Kutoubi trained under international forerunners in cerebral, coronary, vascular and peripheral angiography. He was part of the team led by David Sutton, MD, that performed the first balloon angioplasty at St. Mary's.

In 1984, the institution appointed Dr. Al-Kutoubi as a consultant radiologist overseeing interventional radiology and CT. Dr. Al-Kutoubi also managed the busy MR imaging unit at St. Mary's, expanding its services across the community.

In 1997 he was sought out by the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) in Lebanon to chair its Department of Radiology, revamp its services and training program to align with international standards, and evolve interventional radiology practices throughout the region. At the time many interventional procedures were not being performed by radiologists due to the limited available centers.

At AUBMC, Dr. Al-Kutoubi collaborated with colleagues in vascular, hepatobiliary, and neurologic intervention to develop a world-class comprehensive IR program. He revolutionized the AUBMC radiology department, equipping it with advanced technology, fortifying its physician workforce and delivering cutting-edge procedures to its patient population.

Dr. Al-Kutoubi became renowned for introducing endovascular aneurysm repair for the first time in the Arab Middle East. During his tenure, IR became the top choice for radiology residents in training.

A committed educator, Dr. Al-Kutoubi was a founding member of the Arab Board of Radiology and Medical Imaging, which has now certified more than 1,300 radiologists, and presided over the refinement of its standards and expansion into subspecialty certification. He is also the founding president of the Pan Arab Interventional Radiology Society.

Dr. Al-Kutoubi now serves as an adjunct professor of radiology at AUBMC, having served as full professor and head of the interventional radiology division for over 20 years. He has provided hands-on training to junior radiologists in cross-sectional imaging and interventional procedures in both the UK and in Beirut, and many have become outstanding leaders in their turn.

In 2008 Dr. Al-Kutoubi joined the editorial board of CardioVascular and Interventional Radiology, the longest-running journal in the subspecialty, and he served as its Middle East editor from 2011 to 2018. He has contributed to more than 155 peer-reviewed publications and 8 book chapters, and he co-edited the book Procedural Dictations in Image-Guided Intervention: Non-Vascular, Vascular and Neuro Interventions.

Regina G.H. Beets-Tan, MD, PhD

A world-renowned leader in cancer imaging and its applications for data-driven treatment guidance, Regina G.H. Beets-Tan, MD, PhD, chairs the Department of Radiology at The Netherlands Cancer Institute in Amsterdam.

Dr. Beets-Tan focuses on abdominal and oncological radiology, leading seminal research into improving outcomes in patients with colorectal cancer. At The Netherlands Cancer Institute, she directs research in cancer imaging, investigating multi-parametric and AI imaging technology to guide interventional, surgical and radiation therapies, and as biomarkers for treatment efficacy. She is a professor of radiology at the University of Maastricht, The Netherlands, and adjunct professor of abdominal and oncological radiology at the University of Southern Denmark.

She earned her medical degree, cum laude, at Erasmus University Rotterdam in The Netherlands, then pursued advanced training in radiation oncology at the University Hospital Leuven, Belgium, followed by training in radiology at Maastricht University Hospital. Her PhD dissertation on MR imaging of the anorectum secured the Best Dutch Thesis Prize in 2001.

Dr. Beets-Tan's leadership in radiology is exemplified by her completed term in July 2023 as chair of the European Society of Radiology (ESR) board of directors. She served in numerous leadership capacities over the years, including as president of the ESR and of the 2022 European Congress of Radiology. She currently serves as the scientific director for ESR's European Institute for Biomedical Imaging Research.

From 2019 to 2021, Dr. Beets-Tan was president of the European Society of Gastrointestinal and Abdominal Radiology, overseeing its 2020 annual meeting in Amsterdam and its 2021 virtual meeting. In the preceding years, she served as resident of the European Society of Oncologic Imaging.

Widely sought as an esteemed invited lecturer, Dr. Beets-Tan emphasizes the importance of collaboration among medical professionals across specialties to providing quality patient care. Her own contributions to research are significant, obtaining millions in funding from research institutions and serving in editorial positions for journals such as Abdominal Radiology, Frontiers in Nuclear Medicine and Insights into Imaging. She has also contributed to several books including Imaging and Interventional Radiology for Radiation Oncology and an undergraduate medical student textbook on the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. She has published more than 430 peer-reviewed articles and has spoken at more than 600 invited lectures.

Dr. Beets-Tan brings her expertise as a strategic advisor to appointments by the European commission as a member of the 2019 EU Mission Board for cancer and in 2018 as a member of the European Cancer Organisation board of directors. She holds seats in research councils of the Dutch Organization of Science and the Dutch Cancer Society.

Yi-Hong Chou, MD

A prolific investigator and insightful mentor, Yi-Hong Chou, MD, is internationally recognized for his research in advanced ultrasound techniques and for his natural leadership in both the clinical and academic arenas.

A Taiwan native, Dr. Chou earned his medical degree from Taipei Medical College in 1978. He went on to pursue postgraduate training in radiology and ultrasound at Veterans General Hospital in Taipei, Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, and Thomas Jefferson University Medical Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

He ascended the ranks at Veterans General Hospital, eventually serving as chief of medical ultrasound and breast imaging, and director of their Occupational Safety and Health Office. His exceptional performance earned him accolades nearly every year, including Doctor of the Year and merit awards for Outstanding Clinical Performance of the Year, Outstanding Educational Program of the Year, Good Example of Administration and Outstanding Teaching Faculty.

Currently, Dr. Chou is vice president and chair professor of radiology at Yuanpei University of Medical Technology and National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University School of Medicine in Taipei, and a clinical professor at Taipei's National Defense Medical Center. He serves as director of the Asian Oceanian School of Radiology.

Dr. Chou has focused much of his research on ultrasound, particularly breast and abdominal applications as well as in the emergency setting. He currently is investigating a variety of Doppler techniques and microbubble contrast agents for evaluating tumor vascularity, and he is exploring techniques in tumor ablation.

He has lent his expertise and guidance to multiple peer-reviewed journals, serving as editor for publications including the Journal of the Chinese Medical Association, as editor-in-chief of the Journal of Medical Ultrasound and as editor of WFUMB Ultrasound Open, the official open access journal of the World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology (WFUMB).

Respected across the globe for his strong leadership, Dr. Chou has served in many executive roles including as administrative councilor of the International Society of Radiology and vice president 1 of WFUMB. He is a former president of the Asian Oceanian Society of Radiology (AOSR), the Asian Federation of Societies for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology, and the Asian Society of Abdominal Radiology (ASAR) and Asian Breast Diseases Association.

He received gold medals from AOSR and ASAR and holds numerous honorary memberships including from the European Society of Radiology (ESR), the Japanese Radiological Society and the Korean Society of Radiology.

Having delivered 325 invited lectures, Dr. Chou is a skilled educator. In addition to his current professorships, he has served as a consultant radiologist for Koo Foundation Sun Yat-Sen Cancer Center, as a visiting professor at Tan Kai-Sin Hospital in Singapore, and as chair of the Education Committee of the Society of Ultrasound in Medicine of the Republic of China. He has authored or co-edited more than 436 peer-reviewed articles, 18 book chapters, five books and nearly 400 abstracts.

Outstanding Educator

David J. DiSantis, MD

A champion of education for all science-driven learners regardless of background, David J. DiSantis, MD, is lauded throughout the radiology community for his exemplary work in teaching, mentorship, and patient care.

Dr. DiSantis' clinical and teaching roles have taken him from Eastern Virginia Medical School to Wake Forest University, the University of Kentucky, and finally to his current position as professor of radiology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science in Florida. At each stop, his infectious zeal has convinced trainees that fluoroscopy skills remain relevant for contemporary patient care.

Dr. DiSantis has forged a career in which mentorship and volunteerism are core principles. For all levels from medical students through junior faculty, his insights have guided scientific study design, data acquisition, manuscript preparation and exhibit creation. He is a sought-after advisor concerning career prospects for trainees who are contemplating academic medicine. Unsurprisingly, Dr. DiSantis has been honored as Teacher of the Year at Eastern Virginia Medical School, Wake Forest University, and the Mayo Clinic.

In addition, he was awarded the first endowed professorship in radiology at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine.

Dr. DiSantis has delivered 11 named and honorary lectureships, among them the Richard H. Marshak International Lectureship of the Society of Abdominal Radiology and the Glenn Hartman Radiology Centennial Oration (a tribute to his lifelong commitment to preserving the history of our specialty). In 2021, he received the Lifetime Service Award of the American Board of Radiology.

Dr. DiSantis has been associate editor of Abdominal Radiology and serves on the editorial board of RadioGraphics. He served on the Education Committee of the RSNA and has been honored as an RSNA Honored Educator.

The grandchild of Italian immigrants, Dr. DiSantis proudly shares the story of how his parents (neither of whom finished high school), toiled in a tiny corner grocery store to shoulder the costs for him and his two brothers to attend college, medical and dental school. Dr. DiSantis received his medical degree at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and completed his residency in diagnostic radiology and fellowship in abdominal imaging at Washington University School of Medicine's Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology in St. Louis. In 2003, he earned a master's degree in nonfiction writing from Goucher College in Baltimore.

Dr. DiSantis and his wife, Denise, lead a program designed to encourage grade-school children from underrepresented populations to pursue careers in science and technology called "You can do STEM!", which earned him the inaugural Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Achievement Award of the Society of Abdominal Radiology.

Outstanding Researcher

Bradford J. Wood, MD

A trailblazer of interventional approaches to deliver lifesaving treatments to patients with cancer, Bradford J. Wood, MD, exemplifies the character of a translational scientist who applies investigative techniques to real-world clinical practice.

Dr. Wood is the founding Director of the NIH Center for Interventional Oncology, leading a diverse multi-disciplinary team that develops and translates devices, software, and navigation approaches for cancer patients via public-private-academic partnerships to address unmet clinical needs. He also serves as Chief of Interventional Radiology at the NIH Clinical Center, and also holds appointments in NCI, NIBIB, as well the University of Maryland as Adjunct Professor of Biomedical Engineering.

His team pioneered the first and "first-in-human" applications for technologies including first percutaneous RFA for monotherapy of kidney cancer, pheochromocytoma, and adrenal cancer, MR/transrectal ultrasound fusion biopsy and ablation for prostate cancer, image-able drug-eluting beads for chemoembolization of cancer, electromagnetic tracking for fusion of ultrasound to CT, MR and PET for biopsy and ablation, prostate interventions totally outside of the rectum, as well as the 1st ablation or embolization with checkpoint inhibition for immunomodulation in hepatocellular cancer.

He earned his medical degree in 1991 from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. Dr. Wood then completed fellowships in vascular and interventional radiology and in abdominal and interventional radiology at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Harvard Medical School in Boston.

Dr. Wood held clinical and teaching positions at MGH/ Harvard, and Georgetown University in Washington, DC, before he was recruited to NIH. From 2006 to 2008, he served as Acting Co-Chief of Radiology.

Dr. Wood's multidisciplinary investigative teams, partnering with both public and private entities, have brought to light an arsenal of technologies and techniques that improve outcomes for patients with cancer and other conditions. A mentor to hundreds of trainees, scientists, physician scientists and engineers at the world's largest hospital devoted exclusively to clinical research, Dr. Wood has overseen the authorship of several books and more than 600 peer-reviewed manuscripts in publications including the New England Journal of Medicine, the Journal of the American Medical Association, Nature Medicine, Science, Lancet, Cancer, Radiology and Medical Physics. He holds more than 50 patents for advanced systems and techniques to target disease. His papers have been cited over 40,000 times, with an H-Index of 102.

He has been the principal investigator for funded research developing devices and exploring applications in image guided therapy, including fusion interventions, MRI/US fusion for prostate cancer, drug + device approaches, AI applications in cancer and COVID, smartphone augmented reality for device navigation, and immune-modulation of cancer with ablation. Dr. Wood has received the NIH Director's Award, NIH Clinical Center Director's Award, NIH CC CEO Award, NIH Bench to Bedside Award, NIH Director's Honor Award, and the NCI Research Award. During his tenure as an investigator, Dr. Wood has mentored scores of outstanding physicians, who have in turn gone on to hold professorships, patents and research endowments.