Report p. 3
Updates p. 6
Highlights p. 10
Updates p. 13
It’s the season of change here in Madison, WI...and I’m not just talking about the weather warming! After 18 years as Chair, I have decided to step down from the position. Throughout my time in the Department of Radiology, I have been grateful to be a part of such a unique community. Every member of the Department contributes to improving health across Wisconsin and beyond through their commitment to compassion, collaboration, and innovation, whether in clinical practice, education, or research.
Engagement p. 15
Meetings p. 16 Faculty News p. 18
I have no doubt that the Department will continue to flourish throughout this transition. Read on to discover some of our recent successes, including our participation in developing the nextgeneration CT scanner from GE or the Machine Learning for Medical Imaging (ML4MI) initiative, which draws together experts to tackle the toughest problems facing medical imaging.
It is also time for our residents and fellows to move on to the next phase in their career. We’re excited to see what they do next – and to welcome a new class of trainees.
Alumni Spotlights p. 26
Throughout these many changes, including the ongoing search for a new Chair, the Department continues to foster advances that will benefit all. You’ll read about our researchers leading the way in molecular imaging, our faculty and trainees taking the stage at national meetings, and our efforts to enrich our community through outreach.
I’m excited to see what the future will hold. I feel confident that this time of change will usher in new opportunities and beginnings for our Department. On Wisconsin!
— Thomas Grist, MD
The collaborative relationship between UW Radiology and GE Healthcare continues to spur on innovation in radiology. In the newest chapter of this partnership, beginning in November 2022, a prototype deep silicon photon-counting computed tomography (PCCT) scanner will be evaluated at the Wisconsin Institute for Medical Research (WIMR). This technology has the potential to improve both spatial and spectral resolution of CT imaging, a breakthrough that could increase imaging performance across care areas.
The project will be led by Timothy Szczykutowicz, PhD and Meghan Lubner, MD. Their team has two main aims: First, to provide feedback to GE engineers and scientists to guide future optimizations of the scanner to address clinical needs. To reflect this focus, the study team also includes radiologists from several subspecialities across the Department.
Second, the study will assess the PCCT’s performance on the image quality issues that often affect conventional CT scanners. A normal CT scanner is based on energy-integrating CT (EICT) detection technology. Photon counting technology is entirely different, and has exciting possibilities for image quality and, therefore, diagnostic accuracy.
The study team will examine five specific features of the scanner’s performance.
1. Opportunistic screening describes how well the CT numbers of a subject can be determined as that subject’s size changes.
2. Noise streaking, the artifactual lines across a CT image due to low signal levels, may be reduced in the PCCT scanner, as compared to the conventional EICT scanner.
3. Calcium scoring measures the scanner’s ability to find and quantify the density and size of calcium in the body.
4. Metal artifact reduction, or MAR, will measure the PCCT scanner’s imaging quality in the presence of metal, which can cause large black and white bands on the image.
5. The spatial resolution of the PCCT scanner will also be evaluated.
Each of these features has a powerful effect on image quality, and therefore, diagnostic accuracy.
The team at UW–Madison believe that this new method of scanning might be leveraged for better and more accurate diagnostics. Their study’s evaluation of the PCCT scanner is a crucial step towards improved imaging performance.
While interest in ML for medical imaging is explosive, taking new methods and technologies from “code to clinic” remains a major challenge. Pallavi Tiwari, PhD, who leads UW–Madison’s Machine Learning for Medical Imaging (ML4MI) Initiative believes interdisciplinary collaboration will be the key to achieving this goal. The ML4MI Initiative – sponsored by the Departments of Radiology, Medical Physics, and Engineering – fosters exactly that.
“We are hoping to bring together the researchers who are developing these sophisticated algorithms and methods and the clinicians/radiologists who make clinical decisions,” she explains.
With a world-class engineering program and an outstanding team of machine learning researchers in the School of Medicine and Public Health, UW-Madison is uniquely suited to this collaborative endeavor. By bridging the gap between these groups, the ML4MI Initiative will catalyze the translation of these emerging technologies into clinical practice.
Machine learning (ML), a branch of artificial intelligence (AI) and computer science, is an emerging field which uses algorithms to analyze and draw inferences from patterns in data. ML and AI approaches are the basis of sensational innovations – like selfdriving cars or ChatGPT – as well as something as familiar as Net flix’s recommendation engine.
The possibilities of ML applications in medicine continue to grow, including predicting a patient’s prognosis or monitoring symptoms to allow more proactive management and care. Another exciting potential use of ML is as a tool to support radiologists and pathologists in interpreting medical images. This application might accelerate productivity and improve diagnostic accuracy.
To kick-start the initiative, an ML4MI retreat was held on March 15 at Memorial Union Terrace. Over 100 members of the UW–Madison community attended the event, where leading researchers at UW presented their work.
While these talks highlighted the immense potential of machine learning to solve challenging problems in image reconstruction, image processing, and computer-aided diagnosis, they also emphasized the need for further breakthroughs before these methods can be integrated into clinical practice.
“This retreat is just the first step,” said Dr. Tiwari. “In the future, we hope to have events that are open to an even wider audience.”
Timothy Szczykutowicz, PhD and Meghan Lubner, MD received a $571K grant for their project, “Clinical Feasibility and Evaluation of Silicon Photon Counting,” from GE Healthcare.
Anand Narayan, MD, PhD received the Komen’s Career Catalyst Research grant for his project, “Closing the Gap: Mixed Methods Approaches to Reducing Breast Cancer Disparities.” The grant provides $450K over three years.
Alejandro Roldán-Alzate, PhD received a $72,995 grant for his project, “A multi-disciplinary, non-invasive assessment of the bladder response to filling,” from the DHHS, PHS, and the NIH as well as a CAIRIBU Collaboration Award, which provides $50K over one year.
JP Yu, MD, PhD received a $180K grant for his project, “The Gut-Brain Axis in Autism Spectrum Disorder Presenting with Gut Inflammation,” from The Brain Foundation.
Pallavi Tiwari, PhD received a $171K grant for her project, “Entropy-based navigation for identifying GBM recurrence on post-treatment MRI,” from V Foundation for Cancer Research. She also received a $168K grant for her project, “RadxTools for feature quality benchmarking and assessing tumor treatment response Supplement,” from Case Western Reserve University.
Guang-Hong Chen, PhD received a four-year grant for $2,343,981 from the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Public Health Service (PHS), and National Institutes of Health (NIH) for his project, “Next Generation Cone Beam CT with Improved Contrast Resolution and Added Spectral Imaging Functionality.”
Andrew Wentland, MD, PhD received the 2023 American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS) Scholarship. This award supports early-career faculty members with a $180K grant over two years from the Roentgen Fund of the ARRS.
Jonathan Engle, PhD received a $122K grant for his project, “Generator, Chelator, and Kit Optimization (GeCKO): Bringing 44TI and 43/44gSc into Radiopharmacy Practice,” from the Department of Energy.
Ali Pirasteh, MD received the RSNA Research Scholar Grant. This award provides $199,921 over two years for the project “Development of FAPI PET as a non-invasive biomarker of Liver fibrogenesis.”
At Medical Education Day on June 1, Greg Avey, MD received the 2023 Dean’s Teaching Award. This peer-selected honor recognizes his commitment to excellence and innovation in medical education.
“As an educator, my passion lies in making a meaningful impact on the lives and careers of our exceptional and diverse group of medical students,” says Dr. Avey.
Dr. Avey, an Associate Professor in the Neuroradiology Section, has been with the Department since 2011. Already, his excellence in education has been recognized with honors such as the ‘Teacher of the Year’ award from the Radiology Residency in 2016, and the Department of Radiology Medical Student Teaching award in 2022.
“He engages undergraduate students, medical students, residents and fellows and engenders excitement about the importance of imaging in the context of patient care,” says Tabby Kennedy, MD, who nominated Dr. Avey for the award.
His successes as an educator include creating a 4-week curriculum for Diagnostic Radiology Residents to learn about the head and neck imaging, his extensive involvement with the weekly interdisciplinary head and neck tumor board, and his participation in didactic sessions as part of the ENT, ophthalmology and Radiation Oncology residency curricula. Due to his efforts, the head and neck rotation consistently earn high marks – and high praise – amongst the radiology residents.
Dr. Avey’s expertise is renowned both here at UW and nationally: He has given over 20 talks at national conferences about advanced imaging techniques for the head and neck.
Dr. Avey is also well-known as a leader in teaching financial literacy and wellness. His guidance has a lasting positive impact on each of his student’s lives, and his lectures are integrated into the Radiology residency program, the Fellowship lecture series, and the Department’s Grand Rounds lecture series. Dr. Avey feels privileged to help them create a plan that will help them achieve happiness, fulfillment, and success in their lives and careers.
“Receiving recognition from the Dean and my colleagues fills me with a deep sense of gratitude,” says Dr. Avey. “This award reinforces my belief in the importance of student-centered education and encourages me to continue to find new ways to enhance the educational experience for our medical trainees.”
Seth Arntz, MD
Diagnostic Radiology
Prelim Year: Gundersen Health Med School: University of North Dakota
Alex Griffith, MD
Diagnostic Radiology
Prelim Year: Ascension St. Joseph Med School: UW–Madison
Elizabeth Stoeckl, MD
Diagnostic Radiology (Surgery Intern)
Prelim Year: University of Wisconsin Hospitals & Clinics
Med School: UW–Madison
German Banez Rueda, MD Nuclear Medicine
Prelim Year: Ascension St. Agnes Hospital
Med School: University of Carabobo
Abigail Herzog, MD
Diagnostic Radiology (Internal Medicine Intern)
Prelim Year: University of Wisconsin Hospitals & Clinics
Med School: University of Arkansas
Nicholas Tan, MD
Diagnostic Radiology
Prelim Year: Creighton University
Med School: Creighton University
Christian Cuevas, MD
Diagnostic Radiology
Prelim Year: Ascension St. Vincent Hospital
Med School: Indiana University
Karl Fenzl, MD
Diagnostic Radiology (Internal Medicine Intern)
Prelim Year: University of Wisconsin Hospitals & Clinics
Med School: University at Buffalo
Emily Kruger, MD
Diagnostic Radiology
Prelim Year: Mercy Hospital Med School: University of Missouri-Columbia
Austin Maas, MD
Interventional Radiology (Surgery Intern)
Prelim Year: University of Wisconsin Hospitals & Clinics Med School: University of Michigan
The Department of Radiology is excited to celebrate our graduating trainees. We have been lucky to spend the past four years with these radiologists-in-training. Fortunately for us, five of our graduating residents will continue training here at UW–Madison!
For Karla Wetley, the decision to stay was motivated by UW’s exceptional diagnostic and interventional capabilities and the collegial environment she’s benefited from during residency. “The collaborative and supportive environment created by our staff fosters a culture of excellence and innovation, creating an ideal setting for professional growth and development,” she says.
Diagnostic Radiology
Kyle Lacy, MD: Musculoskeletal Imaging Fellowship, UW-Madison
Matthew Larson, MD, PhD: Neuroradiology Fellowship, UW-Madison
Ece Meram, MD: Interventional Radiology Independent Residency, UW-Madison
Jennifer Pitts, MD: Private Practice, vRad Teleradiology
Andrew Scrima, MD: Neuroradiology Fellowship, UW-Madison
Charles Viers, MD: Abdominal Imaging Fellowship, Mayo Clinic in Minneapolis, MN
Karla Wetley, MD: Musculoskeletal Imaging Fellowship, UW-Madison
Interventional Radiology
Ryan Sofka, MD: Private Practice, TRA Medical Imaging in Tacoma, WA
Natalie Crawford, MD: Private Practice, Sanford Hospital in Bismarck, ND
Nuclear Medicine
Quinton Keigley, MD: Fowler Research Group, UW-Madison
We are proud to see our graduating fellows spread across the country as they advance in their careers. Two have decided to stay close and join the Department as faculty! We wish all of them well!
Abdominal Imaging and Intervention
Brad Evans, MD: Private Practice, Spectrum Healthcare Partners in Portland, ME
Trevor Everett, MD: Private Practice, Midwest Radiology in Minneapolis, MN
Anthony Jiang, MD: Private Practice, South Hub Radiology in Chicago, IL
Matt Mader, MD: Private Practice, Advanced Radiology Consultants in Kansas City, KS
Scott Mauch, MD: Private Practice, Midwest Radiology in Minneapolis, MN
Taylor Morris, MD: Private Practice, New York, NY
Breast Imaging and Intervention
Kenneth Lahrman, DO: Private Practice, Advocate Aurora Health in Milwaukee, WI
Kaitlin Peterson, MD: Private Practice, X-Ray Associates of New Mexico in Albuquerque, NM
Molly Peterson, MD: Private Practice, Advocate Aurora Health in Milwaukee, WI
Musculoskeletal Imaging and Intervention
Jade Anderson, MD: Academic Practice, UW-Madison (MSK) in Madison, WI
Joshua Arnold, MD: Private Practice, Charlotte Radiology in Charlotte, NC
Liz (Mary) Buchanan, MD: Academic Practice, University of Colorado Anschutz in Aurora, CO
Nicholas Laucis, MD: Academic Practice, UW-Madison (Community/MSK) in Madison, WI
Nicole Sztuk, MD: Academic/Private Practice, Mayo Clinic/Red Wing Community Hospital in Minneapolis, MN
Neuroradiology
Serra Aktan, MD: Private Practice, Indianapolis, IN
Michael Bergquist, MD: Private Practice, Waukesha, WI
Mario Juliano, MD: Private Practice, Radiology Partners in Florida
Michael Larson, MD: Private Practice, Waukesha, WI
Mila Quinn, MD: Private Practice, Madison Radiologists in Madison, WI
Craig Tork, MD: Military Service/Practice, United States Army in Georgia
Amy Fowler, MD, PhD is researching new ways to use imaging in the staging and treatment of breast cancer. In current clinical practice, MR and PET imaging are used separately to gain information about a tumor. An MRI scan reveals the structure and anatomy of a tumor, and PET imaging – with a tracer for glucose – quantifies the tumor’s metabolic activity. The “hybrid” PET-MRI provides both functional PET data and anatomical MRI information, a combination that may improve diagnostic accuracy and better inform surgical and medical treatment decisions.
Dr. Fowler is also pioneering novel tracers – specific to estrogen and progesterone – for PET imaging.
“While conventional PET imaging gives you information about the tumor’s glucose metabolic activity, it doesn’t tell you about the receptors that will be targeted during treatment,” explains Dr. Fowler. These new tracers may allow her to pinpoint the kind of therapy that will be most effective for treating each patient’s breast cancer. By advancing precision medicine and improving diagnostic accuracy, Dr. Fowler and her colleagues hope to reduce the morbidity and mortality of breast cancer.
The efforts of Steve Cho, MD to coordinate collaboration and expand critical infrastructure have positioned UW–Madison to become a leader in the emerging field of theranostics. As the popularity of theranostics grows, so has the demand for clinical trials.
“We’ve been inundated with industry trials,” says Dr. Cho. “The goal is to have the logistical capability to handle that demand.”
The first necessity is an expert and interdisciplinary team. The theranostics disease-oriented team (DOT) at the UW Carbone Cancer Center includes radiation oncologists, medical physicists, and radiologists. This group will perform research, run clinical trials, and serve as a resource to other disease teams.
UW has the right people on campus, and it also has the right facilities and infrastructure. In addition to on-site groups capable of producing radiotracers, the soon-to-be completed East Park Medical will increase UW’s capacity for clinical studies and theranostics treatment.
“We can be at the forefront of the field as an institution and we can provide these new agents as options for patients,” says Dr. Cho.
By joining the Department of Energy’s (DOE) University Isotope Network (UIN), UW-Madison’s Cyclotron Research Group is one of the leaders in a new effort to improve the accessibility of radionuclides for researchers across the country.
For over four decades, the Cyclotron Research Group has produced the radionuclides and radiotracers that are the foundation for research, at UW–Madison and beyond.
At many institutions, a lack of access to these materials restricts technology development and advancement in nuclear medicine. The UIN hopes to address this problem, with the National Isotope Development Center (NIDC) coordinating production and transportation of the materials between UIN members and users.
“The University Isotope Network provides new ways for the Department of Energy to support our labs,” explains Jonathan Engle, PhD, who leads the Cyclotron Research Group. “It should increase access to these unique materials for researchers across the country.”
The group produces numerous radionuclides and radiotracers. Among the available production lines are bromine-76 (Br-76), bromine-77 (Br-77), manganese-52g (Mn-52g), and yttrium-86 (Y-86). Br-76, Mn-52g, and Y-86 are useful for positron emission
tomography. In addition, Br-77 is a Meitner-Auger emitter with promise as a therapeutic radionuclide. Already, at UW-Madison, access to Y-86 has helped to stimulate research. Notably, it is essential for an NIH-funded P01 on immunomodulatory targeted radionuclide therapy led by Jamey Weichert, PhD and Zach Morris, MD, PhD, into emerging cancer therapies, and Mn-52g is the radiotracer used in a recently approved clinical trial led by Department of Radiology investigators Sandip Biswal, MD, Ali Pirasteh, MD and Dr. Engle.
“The UIN can democratize access to radionuclides that have halflives long enough to ship,” says Dr. Engle. “We’re hoping that this catalyzes research that comes back to the people of Wisconsin in the form of better technologies but that also generally benefits the population served by healthcare, specifically nuclear medicine.”
Image-guided procedures are an emerging and rapidly evolving technique for treatment of benign and malignant tumors. As technology advances, so do the exciting possibilities for this type of cancer therapy.
In UW–Madison’s Department of Radiology, the interventional CT program is a major leader in researching and implementing the latest technology and clinical applications. Through a partnership with Canon, a new interventional CT scanner has recently been installed at the UW Health Hospital and Clinics.
While the new scanner offers updated and improved hardware, its most exciting feature is the suite of software tools, built specifically for the interventionalist. In addition, large in-room monitors allow the physician to display vital signs, details of the procedure, and even real-time ultrasound.
UW Radiology is the first site in the world to be evaluating this software. For the team at UW, the goal is to evaluate the scanner, suggest improvements, and ultimately leverage the innovative software to benefit patients. In this collaboration, all parties are committed to creating the most intuitive, user-friendly, and ef ficient CT-interventional platform.
“This academic-industrial partnership to improve patient care is the embodiment of the Wisconsin Idea,” says Fred Lee, MD. Dr. Lee is one of four faculty members currently leading a project to assess the scanner. The other principal investigators are Martin
Wagner, PhD, Lindsay Stratchko, DO, and Tim Szczykutowicz, PhD.
Thanks to the tireless work of both faculty and staff, the scanner was installed in January 2023. Carrie Bartels and Rachel Bladorn, both CT technologists, programmed the scanner with the appropriate diagnostic and interventional protocols. CT Tech Leads Kelsey Schluter and Kirsten Jones traveled to the Canon training facility to learn the system, using their experience to teach others.
With this new technology comes new possibility for innovation in CT-guided procedures. Through the committed efforts of faculty and staff and meaningful partnerships, UW Radiology will remain at the forefront of interventional CT imaging.
In July 2022, Richard Bruce, MD was appointed as the Vice Chair of Informatics at UW-Madison. Dr. Bruce has been at UW for 19 years, first as a resident and then as a faculty member in 2009. Like his predecessor and mentor Gary Wendt, MD, Dr. Bruce was trained first as an engineer, and worked for Cisco Systems before pursuing medicine.
“I ended up in radiology because part of the eld’s ethos is that it embraces technology, new tools, and new ways of doing things,” says Dr. Bruce. UW attracted him because of the Department’s eagerness to innovate and optimize existing workflows with technology.
Dr. Bruce often likens his role to that of a plumber. “It’s all about how you connect systems to each other,” he explains. “That is the role of Informatics: How do we give people the tools, the data, and the workflows that they need to accomplish great things?”
By coordinating industry partnerships with companies like Microsoft, Dr. Bruce ensures that UW researchers have access to cutting-edge technology. Implementation is another challenge. While AI tools develop at a breakneck pace, many innovations fail to cross the “valley of implementation.”
“I want UW to be recognized as a world leader in AI implementation,” explains Dr. Bruce. “We are a site that doesn’t just develop new tools but also puts them into practice.”
He’s already making progress towards the goal. This month, UW
will deploy Bone Age, an algorithm for pediatric patients – on the platform AI Doc. “We are the first academic partner to ever use their platform to deploy an internal algorithm,” he says. “It’s an important milestone.”
In leading the Informatics team towards further successes, Dr. Bruce thinks about three “pillars” of Informatics: technology (ef ficient and accessible tools for data discovery and delivery), process (processes that are innovative and compliant with security and privacy requirements), and people. Innovative technology alone can’t produce meaningful change without the appropriate pathways and personnel support that allow that technology to be integrated into clinical practice.
“The flow of information has dramatic downstream effects on the reach of the Department and by extension, the entire health system,” says Dr. Bruce. “Optimizing workflows and making it easier to information to flow, ultimately results in better patient care.”
Erica Knavel Koepsel, MD has been selected as the Interventional Radiology Course Chair for the American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS). Dr. Knavel Koepsel was also selected as the Director of Interventional MRI.
Amy Fowler, MD, PhD was appointed to the Wisconsin Partnership Program’s (WPP) Partnership Education and Research Committee (PERC).
Anand Narayan, MD, PhD was selected to be an Associate Editor of Health Policy and Practice for Radiology. He was also invited to join the Wisconsin Cancer Collaborative Steering Committee.
Pamela Propeck, MD has been appointed to a second term as the Breast Imaging Trustee for the American Board of Radiology (ABR). She was also appointed the incoming Chair of the Volunteer Committee for the ABR.
Mitchell Daun, MD was appointed as an Associate Program Director for the Diagnostics Radiology Residency.
Tyler Prout, MD was appointed Vice Chair of Quality & Safety.
Derek Angle, MBA was hired as the PET Manager for Nuclear Medicine.
Rebecca LaFontaine, MHA was appointed the new Ultrasound Manager.
Edward Lawrence, MD, PhD was appointed as the new Assistant Block Leader for the Phase 2 Acute Care Course.
Anna Hildebrandt was hired as the Communications Manager, a newly reconfigured role that provides a high standard of communication strategy and management.
The educational and career opportunities of medical physics and radiology are often unknown to young students. In an effort to increase the visibility of these fields, members of the Departments of Radiology and Medical Physics hosted a field trip on March 24, 2023, for the students from James C. Wright Middle School. The event, which was held in the Wisconsin Institute for Medical Research (WIMR) building, was designed to introduce the students to both key concepts in medical physics and career pathways.
“We thought this field trip would be a great opportunity to develop interactive activities that showcased medical physics using equipment we typically don’t have available for other outreach events,” said Lucky Volety. Volety, a graduate student in the Department of Medical Physics, organized the event along with other members of the Medical Physics Outreach Committee.
“We wanted to inspire the students to think about their future career paths and explore options they might not have considered before,” she added.
During the day, which included a number of engaging presentations and activities, the students had an opportunity to observe s histotripsy. This is an emerging treatment that using noninvasive ablation technology, guided by real-time imaging, to mechanically destroy tumors or blood clots. Ayca Kutlu, MD, an Honorary Research Fellow in the Department of Radiology, and Joseph Whitehead, MS and Grace Minesinger, two Graduate
Research Assistants in the Department of Medical Physics, led a demonstration: using waves of ultrasound on a gelatin “phantom” to illustrate the process.
After teaching the basics of radiation therapy, Daniel Anderson and Jeff Radtke led the students through various hands-on projects in the Calibration Laboratory.
Dr. Szczykutowicz and two Imaging Physics residents – Kricia Ruano-Espinoza, PhD and Jonathan Troville, PhD – led an interactive CT activity. Students scanned fruit, vegetables, and other objects to learn the principles involved in creating an image.
Finally, Lucky Volety and Dr. Ruano-Espinoza guided the students through an ultrasound scanning activity. In groups, the students scanned a gelatin phantom containing olives or grapes to simulate tumor detection.
The close collaborative relationship between the Departments of Medical Physics and Radiology allowed the students to be introduced to both research and clinical possibilities of these exciting fields.
“Throughout the activities, students were very engaged, asked insightful questions, and expressed interest for a career in this area of medicine,” Volety said.
The Department of Radiology’s long tradition of innovation continued at this spring’s annual meetings across the country. Our faculty and trainees gave talks, served as panelists, presented abstracts and exhibits, and led hands-on courses and workshops. They were recognized as leaders in the field for their outstanding work. These accolades are evidence of the Department’s commitment to supporting leaders in radiology and fostering the next generation of innovators.
Society of Abdominal Radiology (SAR) Annual Meeting
February 26 to March 2, 2023
Austin, Texas
Meghan Lubner, MD was named the 2023 SAR Igor Laufer Visiting Professor. This professorship is awarded each year to an outstanding academic radiologist. Other Department members have previously received this honor: David Kim, MD (2020-2021) and Perry J. Pickhardt, MD (2012-2013).
Scott Mauch, MD, an Abdominal Imaging and Intervention Fellow, received the Best Power Science Award for his talk, “MR Imaging Characteristics Post Histotripsy Treatment in the Liver.”
Society of Thoracic Radiology (STR) Annual Meeting
March 5-8, 2023
Charleston, South Carolina
Carolina McShane, MD, a first-year resident in the Diagnostic Radiology Program, Maria Daniela Martin Rother, MD, Brian Mullan, MD, Cristopher Meyer, MD, and Jeffrey Kanne, MD received the Cum Laude Poster Award for their poster, “Caution! Lung “Fields” Ahead: Thoracic Imaging in an Agricultural Setting.”
Society for Interventional Radiology Annual Meeting
March 4-9, 2023
Phoenix, Arizona
Katrina Falk, an MD/PhD student working under Paul Laeseke, MD, PhD, was selected to be one of the SIR 2023 Medical Student Scholars.
Society for Skeletal Radiology (SSR) Annual Meeting
March 12-15, 2023
Savannah, Georgia
Under the leadership of SSR president Donna Blankenbaker, MD, the meeting was a success: Promoting academic excellence through presentations on education, wellness, and beyond.
Rianne van der Heijden, MD, PhD received the 2023 SSR Seed Grant Research Award for her work “Radio-manganese PET/MR and shear wave elastography as potential imaging biomarkers in patients with myofascial pain.” Sandip Biswal, MD and Kenneth Lee, MD are collaborators on the project.
Jade Anderson, MD, a Musculoskeletal Imaging Fellow, presented Case of the Day #6 on March 14.
American Society of Neuroradiology (ASNR)
April 29 to May 3, 2023
Chicago, Illinois
Second-year resident Alex Moeller, MD, mentored by Tabby Kennedy, MD, won a Certificate of Merit for his exhibit, “A Primer on Primary Sinonasal Tumor Classification, Staging and Routes of Tumor Spread.”
American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS) Annual Meeting
April 16-20, 2023
Honolulu, Hawaii
Jade Anderson, MD, a Musculoskeletal Fellow, received the ARRS 2023 Certificate of Merit for the educational exhibit “Decoding the Musculoskeletal Physical Exam: A Radiologist’s Visual Guide with Imaging Correlations.” Dr. Anderson was mentored by Joseph Tang, MD.
Craig Tork, MD, a Neuroradiology Fellow, received a Bronze Medal for the educational exhibit “What Did You Say? Imaging Laryngeal Cancer and What the Surgeon Wants to Know.” Dr. Tork was mentored by Greg Avey, MD.
SMPH student Sarah Daggett received the ARRS 2023 Emerging Research Silver Medal for her project, “Image-Guided Percutaneous Mesenteric and Bowel Biopsy: Diagnostic Yield and Safety Profile.”
International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) Annual Meeting
June 3-8, 2023
Toronto, Canada
Exactly 30 years after submitting his first two abstracts to ISMRM, Scott Reeder, MD, PhD led the society as its president for the first in-person meeting since the pandemic.
Thekla Oechtering, MD organized the Secret Sessions, which are informal, explorative, and tailored to early-career researchers.
Rianne van der Heijden, MD, PhD was selected to be a Junior Fellow in recognition of her being a rising star.
Oliver Wieben, PhD and Howard Rowley, MD were selected as Senior Fellows in recognition of their role model status in the field.
Steve Cho, MD was a guest on Wisconsin Public Radio’s “The Morning Show” to discuss how nuclear medicine is advancing cancer treatments. Dr. Cho explains the basics about the emerging field of theranostics, as well as dispelling some common misconceptions.
Prasad Dalvie, MD was featured in a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article published on March 22. The article described a renal embolization he performed to treat a 17-year-old’s kidney laceration.
WKOW-TV • WAOW-TV
WMTV-TV • WBAY-TV
WQOW-TV • WJFW-TV
Thomas Grist, MD was featured in a Milwaukee Business Journal article published on March 17. The article described GE HealthCare’s expanding operations in Wisconsin, including their collaborations with the University of WisconsinMadison.
Erica Knavel Koepsel, MD and
were featured on WKOW.com in an article, “UW Health becomes only health system in Wisconsin to offer less invasive prostate cancer treatment” as well as news segments on television stations across Wisconsin. The report focused on her work in noninvasive cryoablation techniques being used to treat prostate cancer.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) All of Us Research Program is working to build the most diverse dataset in existence to advance precision medicine research. Precision medicine – which takes individual factors like environment, lifestyle, family health history, and even genetics into account – might lead to reduced health care costs and improved patient outcomes.
The All of Us database will help unlock the full potential of precision medicine. Researchers investigating the ef ficacy of new “personalized” treatments often spend time and resources on creating new databases for each study, which may focus on a single condition or group of people.
By collecting health data of 1 million or more participants, the All of Us database will be a powerful tool for future research on a wide variety of health conditions. Elizabeth Burnside, MD is a coprincipal investigator of All of Us at UW–Madison. Her passion for their project isn’t just academic: It’s personal.
“I was a second-year medical student, and my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer,” Dr. Burnside shared in an All of Us video. Even then, personalized treatment was on her mind. “I thought, ‘Maybe they can do it better if they consider the individual characteristics of my mom.’”
In her current research projects, Dr. Burnside works to optimize –and individualize – screening and treatment protocols for breast cancer. Her partnership with All of Us is the latest step on her
journey to improve population-based screening and diagnosis of breast cancer.
“My dream is that we can really personalize prevention, screening, and treatment,” said Dr. Burnside. “Helping mothers, sisters, families avoid a disease that really just takes too much, every year.”
UW–Madison, with UW Health, has been engaged in the program’s recruitment and enrollment in Madison and Milwaukee since 2017. All of Us has already made impressive progress, with more than 639,000 participants registered. More than 80% of the participants belong to groups that are underrepresented in biomedical research. Past research programs gathered only about 5% of their data from these groups, making All of Us the most diverse database of its kind.
This print ad ran in People magazine and Time magazine on May 15 and May 22, respectively.
Mark
MD was promoted to Associate Professor (CHS).
James Fink, MD joined us as a Professor (CHS) in the Neuroradiology section.
Labros Meimetis, PhD joined us as a Research Assistant Professor in the Imaging Sciences section.
Orhan Unal, PhD joined us as an Assistant Professor (CHS) in the Imaging Sciences section.
Kathleen Fink, MD joined us as a Clinical Professor (CT) in the Neuroradiology section.
Nandakumar Menon, MD joined us as an Assistant Professor (CHS) in the Nuclear Medicine section.
Michael Veronesi, MD, PhD joined us as a Visiting Associate Professor (CHS) in the Neuroradiology section.
Leah Henze Bancroft, PhD has joined us as an Assistant Professor (CHS) in the Imaging Sciences section.
James Pipe, PhD joined us as a Visiting Professor (TT) in the Imaging Sciences section.
Karl Vigen, PhD joined us as an Associate Professor (CHS) in the Imaging Sciences section.
Samuel A. Hurley, PhD joined us as an Assistant Professor (CHS) in the Imaging Sciences section.
Molly Raske, MD joined us as a Clinical Professor (CT) in the Pediatric Imaging section.
After 23 years of service, Howard Rowley, MD, the Joseph F. Sackett Professor of Radiology, is retiring. On April 28, at the Park Hotel in Capitol Square, Dr. Rowley’s colleagues, peers, and friends gathered to celebrate his career.
Dr. Rowley came to UW from the University of California in San Francisco in 1999, when both he and his wife were recruited to Wisconsin. Dr. Rowley, who is both a trained neuroradiologist and neurologist, was immediately recognized for his clinical excellence. In the years that followed, Dr. Rowley continued to set a high standard of clinical care in the Department of Radiology. He contributed to improving workflows for stroke treatment and developed MRI guidelines to ensure patient safety.
Dr. Rowley is not only a remarkable clinician, but a passionate and skilled educator, too. His commitment to sharing his expertise has earned him numerous accolades, including the Radiologic Society of North America (RSNA) Honored Educator award and the Outstanding Teacher Award in the Department of Radiology. He’s known for his willingness to help and uplift those around him, a quality that has made him a valuable teacher and mentor.
“We will all miss Howard’s small acts of kindness that have made our section special,” says Tabby Kennedy, MD. “He was always one to bring in bagels and lox for Friday’s fellows conference, stock the fridge with sparkling water and buy the entire weekend crew sandwiches. Howard will leave a legacy of good will that will last a lifetime.”
Nationally and globally, Dr. Rowley is a leader in his field. He has contributed to the community of Neuroradiology in many ways, including his work with stroke trials, dementia research, and by communicating to others how to implement emerging imaging technologies into routine clinical practice. He served as the American Society of Neuroradiology (ASNR) President from 2016 to 2017, and was the Chair for the American Society of Neuroradiology (ASNR) Foundation from 2010 to 2015. These honors and others – like the Outstanding Alumnus Award from the University of California or ASNR’s 2020 Gold Medal Award –reflect both his professional and personal excellence.
As Patrick Turski, MD, Emeritus Professor of Neuroradiology, has said, Dr. Rowley can be described with “four W’s”: warmth, wit, wisdom, and wonderful. His legacy of compassion, humility, and above all, dedication to serving those around us, is one that is woven into the fabric of the Department of Radiology.
A scholarship fund has been created in Howard’s name. This scholarship will support students from the University of Wisconsin who are presenting their research at a national or international conference.
Donate to the Howard A. Rowley Scholarship Fund to carry on Howard’s legacy of supporting the next generation of radiologists. We thank him for his committed service over these 23 years and wish him the best in his retirement.
After 13 years at UW–Madison, Cristopher Meyer, MD, a Professor in the Thoracic Imaging Section, is retiring. In each of Dr. Meyer’s many roles – including physician, professor, researcher, reviewer, mentor, colleague, and more – his commitment to excellence is evident. He will be sorely missed for his expertise, his clinical skill, and his humor.
Dr. Meyer is known nationally as a leader in thoracic radiology, and served as President of the Society of Thoracic Radiology from 2018 to 2019. He has authored or co-authored over 100 articles, book chapters, and abstracts, and has lectured nationally on topics related to occupational lung disease. In 2022, he received STR’s President’s Award for his research of burnout in cardiothoracic radiologists. He earned the same prestigious award in 2013 for his contributions to revising the Society’s by-laws.
His reputation as a clinician is equally glowing.
“Dr. Meyer’s dedication to clinical excellence has helped shape the high-quality service we provide to our patients and clinical colleagues, and his passion for teaching inspires us all,” says Jeffrey Kanne, MD, the Chief of the Thoracic Imaging Section. “His ability to make us laugh with anecdotes about cooking, fishing, his time in the Army, or life in general always lightens up the day.”
In addition to his roles as a physician, educator, and researcher, Dr. Meyer is the Chair of the UW Medical Foundation (UWMF)
Finance Committee. He has also been an active and conscientious member of the Compensation Development Committee (CDC).
“He leaves the legacy of Chairing the CDC during the development of the physician compensation plan guidelines, for which he deserves a merit badge for inclusivity by facilitating this complex and important effort in a way that encapsulated priorities from colleagues across the institution,” says Kelsie Doty, the Vice President at UW Health.
We thank Dr. Meyer for his committed service, and wish him the best in his retirement.
The cover of the December issue of Operative Neurosurgery features an image from an article by Beverly Aagaard-Kienitz MD; Kelly Capel, MD; Laura Eisenmenger, MD; and Alexey Samsonov, PhD.
Rianne van der Heijden, MD, PhD received the Skeletal Society of Radiology’s Young Investigator Travel Award for the abstract “Ultrashort Echo Time MRI as a useful biomarker of tendon health: Correlation with clinical scores and ultrasound parameters in an RCT assessing PRP for patellar tendinopathy.”
In the 2022 RadioGraphics Editor’s Recognition Awards, Mai Elezaby, MD and Amy Fowler, MD, PhD received the Editor’s Recognition Award with Special Distinction.
In Radiology’s Top 5 Reviews of 2022, Elizabeth Sadowski, MD’s review, “O-RADS MRI Risk Stratification System: Guide for Assessing Adnexal Lesions from the ACR O-RADS Committee,” and Jeffrey Kanne, MD’s review, “Long-Term Lung Abnormalities Associated with COVID-19 Pneumonia,” were featured
Andrew Wentland, MD, PhD received a 2023 ARRS Scholarship for his research on the applications of artificial intelligence in abdominal imaging. This award supports innovative radiological research by earlycareer faculty members.
David Kim, MD, Kenneth Lee, MD, MBA, Meghan Lubner, MD, and Lori Mankowski Gettle, MD, MBA received the Editor’s Recognition Award with Distinction.
Anand Narayan, MD, PhD was selected as one of the Journal of the American College of Radiology’s (JACR) Bronze Medalists for Exceptional Manuscript Review.
Greg Avey, MD was awarded the Dean’s Teaching Award for his commitment to excellence and innovation in medical education. Dr. Avey will receive the award during Medical Education Day on June 1.
In the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research’s 2022 ranking, UW-Madison’s Department of Radiology was #11, with over $15 million in NIH funding.
Rianne van der Heijden, MD, PhD was selected to be an International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) Junior Fellow for 2023.
Giuseppe Toia, MD was named a 2023 Distinguished Reviewer for AJR.
Richard Bruce, MD was invited to be the keynote speaker for the 2023 ACR Data Science Institute Summit meeting held in June 2023.
Karl Vigen, PhD and Ali Pirasteh, MD received the Patient Safety Leadership Award in recognition of their exceptional efforts to improve patient safety.
Pallavi Tiwari, PhD was inducted as a senior member of the National Academy of Inventors.
Meghan Lubner, MD was named the 2023 SAR Igor Laufer Visiting Professor.
Tabby Kennedy, MD was recognized for receiving the Impact Award from the Group on Women in Medicine and Science (GWIMS) in the Awards section.
Kevin Johnson, PhD was announced as one of the awardees in the 2023-4 Vilas Associates Competition. This competition recognizes research of the highest quality and significance and is funded by the William F. Vilas Estate Trust.
Tom Grist, MD and Frederick Kelcz, MD were honorees at the 2023 Honoring You Recognition Event on June 8th.
Jessica Robbins, MD received the 2023 Alliance of Clinician-Educators in Radiology Achievement Award from the Association of University Radiologists.
Perry Pickhardt, MD received the 20th Annual Lodwick Award for the paper “Fully Automated Abdominal CT Biomarkers for Type 2 Diabetes Using Deep Learning.” This award recognizes the best paper published during the last calendar year in the fields of musculoskeletal radiology, medicine, or biology.
Richard Bruce, MD, was invited to be the keynote speaker for the 2023 American College of Radiology (ACR) Data Science Institute Summit meeting, which will be held in June 2023.
Anand Narayan, MD, PhD was selected as an Associate Editor of Health Policy and Practice for Radiology.
Aaron Field, MD, PhD, received an Editor’s Recognition Award from Radiology.
Pallavi Tiwari, PhD and Alan McMillan, PhD were named Data Science Institute (DSI) Af filiates.
Amy Fowler, MD, PhD was appointed to the Wisconsin Partnership Program’s (WPP) Partnership Education and Research Committee (PERC).
Newrhee Kim, MD and Tyler Prout, MD were named as two of the new American College of Radiology (ACR) fellows.
Lonie Salkowski, MD, PhD was selected to be an Assistant Editor for the British Journal of Radiology.
Allison Grayev, MD was appointed to be an Assistant Editor in 2023 for The American Journal of Roentgenology (AJR).
Vivek Prabhakaran, MD, PhD was elected to the Medical Board of University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics. His twoyear term will begin in September 2023.
Teresa Chapman, MD has been elected to a 3-year term as a board member of the Society of Pediatric Radiology.
Erica Knavel Koepsel, MD has been selected as the Interventional Radiology Course Chair for the American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS).
Pallavi Tiwari, PhD received a $1.2 million Merit Award from the Department of Veteran Affairs. The IDiA Lab, led by Dr. Tiwari, will extend AI models for chemotherapy-response assessment in brain tumors to the veteran population.
Theodora Potretzke, MD was a Diagnostic Radiology resident from 2010-2014. Her interests include diagnostic genitourinary imaging, ultrasound imaging, and ultrasound-guided intervention. Currently, she is an Associate Professor of Radiology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. She works in the Ultrasound and Abdominal Imaging Divisions. Dr. Potretzke provided updates and insight from her career.
What are your areas of interest? Are their any achievements you would like to share?
I was selected as the Abdominal Imaging Teacher of the Year in 2018 and the Radiology Department Teacher of the Year in 2019 by the Mayo Clinic Radiology Residency Program. I am in my 6th year serving as an Item Writer and Exam Developer for the American Board of Radiology Certifying Exam for GU radiology. I also currently serve as Vice Chair of the Annual Meeting Program Committee for the Society of Radiologists in Ultrasound.
In reflection, how would you say your training at UW-Madison helped you in your career?
Not only did my training at UW-Madison help in my career but my career wouldn’t exist without it! I received world-class education and mentorship. I consider the faculty at UW to be outstanding role models as physicians – physicians who are knowledgeable, collaborative, inquisitive, kind, responsible, and full of integrity. UW Radiology set me on a course of life-long learning. And the allied staff including nurses and technologists were also invaluable teachers – their knowledge, expertise, and commitment to patient
care are second to none.
What advice would you share with prospective and current trainees at UW-Madison?
Your mentors and peers from UW are friends and colleagues for life! Remember that they have been doing this well for a really long time and you should trust the process, the program, and put forth strong effort at every encounter. It is during periods of discomfort that you really grow – put your hand up to get involved and try something new. Opportunities abound and during residency you have a wonderful safety net and the support of a fantastic department when you falter.
Brian Jellison, MD is a former Diagnostic Radiology resident. His interests include advanced neuroimaging techniques and neurointerventional procedures, with specialized experience in spine therapies. Currently, he practices as a part of the Northwest Radiology group in Indianapolis, Indiana. Dr. Jellison shared insight from his time with us and career.
What are your areas of interest? Are there any achievements you would like to share?
I serve on my group’s Board of Directors and am the Managing Partner of Finance. As the Medical Director of Outpatient Imaging, I also oversee our multi-location outpatient imaging. In addition to my clinical interests, I have interests in philanthropy and real estate. I started a nonprofit with my wife to engage the city elderly through urban farming. For years, I also was the Chairman of Plaza Entrada Holdings in Santa Fe, New Mexico focused on triple net lease property acquisition and management.
In reflection, how would you say your training at UW-Madison helped you in your career?
Learning how to rebound from defeat was the most important lesson from my training. After residency, you will make mistakes with your staff, your patients, at tumor board. You may get sued. And when you do, you still have to work that day. You still have to do your best for your patients and then at home for your family. You have to rebound from defeat. So why not learn how to rebound from defeat early when you are in training? Residency is a nest. Go through the pain early and develop the ability to rebound
so you’re prepared when you leave the nest.
What advice would you share with prospective and current trainees at UW-Madison?
1. Be kind. Radiology is a small world.
2. Invest in UW’s retirement plan as a trainee because nothing beats time in the market.
3. Live like you’re broke for three years after completing training to payoff any student loans.
4. Because most new hires (that’s right, most) don’t stay at their first post-training job, rent until you become a partner. Then you can buy a home.
5. After you become a partner, buy one cash-flowing rental property every three years and you’ll have the financial freedom to retire after 52.
Photo Credit: M.O.D. Media Productions
