The past year in the Johns Hopkins Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science has been full of changes as we worked towards innovation and excellence in patient care, research, and education. Our leadership team celebrated the retirement of Dr. Paul Bottomley after nearly 30 years of his pioneering and distinguished work, as well as the promotion of Dr. Shivani Ahlawat as our director of diversity, equity, and inclusion and Dr. Sridhar Nimmagadda as the new director of the PET Service Center. In addition, we welcomed Susan Press as our new radiology functional unit administrator and Danielle Karavedas as the new chief administrative officer. Finally, at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Dr. Jenny Hoang assumed the role of chair of Bayview Radiology, and Cheryl Shoats joined as the interim radiology administrator. I look forward to working closely with these new and existing leadership team members to further strengthen Johns Hopkins Radiology.
CLINICAL
The past few years have been full of challenges as our clinical staff and faculty strive to maintain our high standards of patient care. We have committed to finding new ways to thrive and flip restrictions into opportunities for closer connections through virtual environments during this time. This has influenced residents and education and reached far into clinical workflow, intra and inter-department collaborations, and communication with referring providers outside Johns Hopkins. We are continuing to establish a second site in Columbia while the planned Belward Farms in Rockville is on pause for now. In addition, I’m thrilled to announce that the breast imaging radiologists at Sibley Memorial Hospital have officially joined the Johns Hopkins Department of Radiology faculty, bringing us one step closer to One Radiology integration. The outpatient imaging site at Green Spring Station saw the opening of a third MRI, allowing us to meet patient demand better. In addition, we are progressing on plans to install a new PET/CT and construct a hot lab in Pavilion I, enabling us to bring more PET/ CT services to ambulatory settings.
RESEARCH
Our research faculty have made tremendous strides in grant funding through non-federal and federal sponsors. We continue to provide critical seed and bridge funding, protected research time, and mentorship through internal radiology awards and programs. One particularly exciting development out of many is the work being done by Dr. Rebecca Krimins, who is pioneering research into radionuclide therapy in veterinary patients. Her advancements in this growing field hold promise for human clinical applications. A key priority continues to be supporting clinical faculty in their research work. We’re proud to highlight Drs. Clifford Weiss, Lilja Solnes, and Shadpour Demehri’s unique approaches to their specialties and bringing bench to bedside to treat patients with the latest advancements. Beyond our department at Johns Hopkins, numerous Radiology faculty members have received individual honors, awards, and invitations to national and global organizations to recognize their expertise and ground-breaking work.
EDUCATION
One of the most critical values our faculty provide is their instruction and interaction with our residents and fellows. By creating an inclusive and diverse environment to foster learning and growth, we saw our fourth year of being ranked #1 in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Radiology Programs and are now ranked #5 globally. This couldn’t have been possible without every department member’s high level of engagement, and it is so rewarding to see others recognize this commitment, dedication, and quality. For any trainee interested in learning more about specific topics such as clinical educators, health policy, informatics, or global health, we formalized special distinction tracks to ensure comprehensive mentorship. We also saw the return to in-person learning and conferences while ensuring we maintained virtual systems to utilize as needed. We look forward to the new year, knowing that we have already overcome previously unimagined challenges. As always, alumni and donors are welcome to reach out to me with any questions. Sincerely, Karen M. Horton, M.D. Martin W. Donner Professor of Radiology Director, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science