RSNA Honorary Members

Honorary membership is presented for significant achievements in the field of radiology. Today, during the morning Plenary Session, RSNA will award three honorary memberships.

Gharbi

Mendonça

Riklund

Hassen A. Gharbi, MD, PhD

A pioneering pediatric radiologist in North Africa, Hassen A. Gharbi MD, PhD, earned his medical degree in 1967 from the Université Paris Medical School, where he subsequently received degrees in radiology, aeronautic medicine and medical electronics. He received a post-doctoral degree in optic physiology from the Faculty of Science at the Orsay campus of the Université Paris and a degree in management of radiation accidents from Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Oak Ridge, TN.

He began his career as an assistant professor in the biophysics department at the Université Paris Medical School. When he returned to Tunisia in 1970, he founded and served as head of the first department of radiology at the Tunis Children's Hospital, where he remained until 1989. Simultaneously, Dr. Gharbi served as head of the medical biophysics department at the Medical School of Tunis from 1970 to 1985 and as vice dean from 1971 to 1973. He served as president of the Radiological National Commission in the Ministry of Public Health, Tunis, from 1975 to 1985. Now retired,
Dr. Gharbi remains active in radiology teaching programs in Tunisia and other developing countries.

Credited with introducing ultrasonography in Tunisia in 1978, Dr. Gharbi's research on US classification of the hydatid cyst was published in Radiology in 1981 and remains an important resource to radiologists around the world. Dr. Gharbi founded the Tunisian National Centre of Radiation Protection in 1971 and served as director for nearly 20 years.

Dr. Gharbi currently serves on RSNA's International Advisory Committee (IAC), the Regional Committee for Middle East/Africa IAC and the Education Exhibits Obstetrics/Gynecology Subcommittee. Among his many honors, Dr. Gharbi received the prestigious Antoine Béclère Medal from the International Society of Radiology and honorary memberships in
the European Society of Radiology and the Society for Pediatric Radiology.

Renato Adam Mendonça, MD, PhD

A preeminent educator and advocate for strong relationships between international radiologic organizations, Renato Adam Mendonça, MD, PhD, is the chief of the Department of Neuroradiology at Delboni Auriemo, São Paulo.

Dr. Mendonça earned his medical degree in 1976 from the Medical School of Federal University of Paraná in Curitiba, Brazil. He began his medical career in the radiology department at the Hospital Beneficência Portuguesa, (now Hospital BP) in São Paulo and eventually became head of the neuroradiology section. During his 30 years at Hospital BP, Dr. Mendonça was an advocate for the development of the radiology resident training program, which has become one of the most prestigious in the country. From 2010 to 2015, he was the medical director of Diagnósticos da America.

Dr. Mendonça is the current treasurer of the International Society of Radiology. He is a former president of the Radiological and Diagnostic Imaging Society of São Paulo (SPR) and is the scientific director and current chair of the Educational Committee. As the scientific director, Dr. Mendonça has been instrumental in the continued partnership with RSNA to host the Jornada Paulista de Radiologia (JPR) in Brazil every two years.

His professional involvement also includes serving as a member and past vice president of the Brazilian College of Radiology and Digital Imaging and as a founding member of LATINSAFE, an alliance of radiologists in Latin America that advocates for radiation protection for patients. Dr. Mendonça is the vice chair of RSNA's International Advisory Committee and a member of the Regional Committee for Latin America. He lectures throughout Brazil on radiology and neuroradiology.

Katrine Riklund, MD, PhD

A respected leader in diagnostic radiology and nuclear medicine, Dr. Riklund has devoted her career to collaboration between the two disciplines, laying the groundwork for the dramatic growth of hybrid imaging. As the founding president of the European Society of Hybrid Medical Imaging (ESHI), Dr. Riklund is working to provide better education and training in hybrid imaging for both specialties.

Born in Norrbotten, Sweden, Dr. Riklund earned her medical degree and also her postdoctoral degree in diagnostic radiology and nuclear medicine at Umeå University in Sweden. She has remained at Umeå, serving as an associate professor, head of the Clinical Department of Radiology, head of the Department of Radiation Sciences and as deputy dean of the Medical Faculty.
She is currently a professor in diagnostic radiology, a consultant for radiology and nuclear medicine and pro vice chancellor
at Umeå University.

As a researcher, Dr. Riklund helped bridge the divide between immunology and nuclear medicine by developing an evaluation of monoclonal antibodies in the diagnosis and treatment of gynecological cancers. Thereafter, she focused her research on hybrid imaging with PET/CT and PET/MR, which plays an increasingly crucial role in the routine staging of oncologic disease, treatment planning and follow-up.

Dr. Riklund has served as president of both the Swedish Society of Nuclear Medicine and the Swedish Society of Medical Radiology. Her longstanding relationship with the European Society of Radiology (ESR) includes serving as president of the 2016 European Congress of Radiology (ECR) and as chairperson of the ESR board of directors and currently as the immediate past president of ESR.

Dr. Riklund has served as an imaging expert on Guidelines in Colorectal Cancer Care and Guidelines for Breast Cancer Care for the National Board of Health and Welfare. Dr. Riklund serves as the ESR representative on the RSNA Committee on International Radiology Education (CIRE).