Support The Future of Radiology With An R&E Foundation Donation

Pamela K. Woodard, MD, is chair of the RSNA Research & Education Foundation Board of Trustees. Dr. Woodard serves as the Elizabeth E. Mallinckrodt Professor of Radiology and director of Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. She also serves as head of the university’s Department of Radiology and is a professor of internal medicine, pediatrics and biomedical engineering. Dr. Woodard was an early recipient of RSNA R&E Foundation funding and has been an NIH-funded clinician scientist as a PI or MPI for over two decades. She has served as a standing member on NIH study sections, most recently as a study section chair. Currently, Dr. Woodard is also program director on an NIH NIBIB T32 Clinician-Scientist Training grant to educate radiology residents and fellows in translational imaging research. Dr. Woodard is past president of the North American Society for Cardiovascular Imaging and serves as president of the American College of Radiology. This is Dr. Woodard’s second term with the Foundation Board of Trustees.

I am delighted to begin as chair of the Board of Trustees for the RSNA R&E Foundation and am honored to take up the mantle from Satoshi Minoshima, MD, PhD, previous R&E Foundation chair.

The R&E Foundation has had such a profound impact upon developing leaders in radiology throughout all stages of their careers, from medical students to established scientists.

Since 1984, the R&E Foundation has awarded over $84 million to over 1,700 researchers and educators, supporting nearly 2,000 grant projects. Recipients over the years include many people who are now chairs and leaders in radiology nationwide, including James Brink, MD, chair of radiology at Massachusetts General-Brigham; Martin Pomper, MD, PhD, chair of radiology at UT Southwestern; Bonnie Joe, MD, PhD, breast imaging division chief at University of California, San Francisco; Colin Derdeyn, MD, chair of radiology at University of Virginia; Umar Mahmood, MD, PhD, current RSNA president, and many, many more.

I also benefited through two R&E Foundation grants—a Siemens Medical Solutions/RSNA Research Fellow Grant, and a Carestream Health/RSNA Research Scholar Grant. Both grants awarded early in my career allowed me to obtain pilot data for NIH and other funding and to continue in leadership roles. Moreover, the training I received provided me with the foundation to support our faculty and pass on the knowledge and experience by training residents and fellows. Our department is now fortunate enough to have an NIH-funded NIBIB clinician-scientist resident and fellow T32. Through this and our research resident track, we guide our newest radiologists in writing both RSNA and federal research grants and further provide leadership training.

I am much indebted to the RSNA R&E Foundation as it paved the way to start my career at the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology at WashU Medicine. Current and upcoming Foundation grants support projects which are almost certain to change the course of radiology. These new Emerging Issues grants support research in categories such as health disparities, the radiologist workforce shortage and AI-driven innovations to enhance patient care and impact lives world-wide. The R&E Foundation also seeks to advance a wide range of perspectives in imaging including funding to support the research of medical students representing a variety of backgrounds.

The Foundation provides sound stewardship of your contributions: 94% of donations are directed to grant recipients. Moreover, grant recipients report receiving an average of $60 in future funding from other sources for every $1 received—creating over $5 billion in impact.

Please join me in supporting this important work by making a gift to the R&E Foundation. Encourage your colleagues and mentees to apply for a grant. You will be contributing to the future of radiology. Our grant recipients are the next generation of innovators and leaders in radiology. We want to ensure that radiology has a bright tomorrow!