RSNA Names New President and Chair of the Board of Directors

Jeffrey S. Klein, MD, was named chair and Umar Mahmood, MD, PhD, was named president of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) Board of Directors today at the Society’s annual meeting.

Dr Klein, a renowned expert in lung cancer staging and detection, is the A. Bradley Soule and John P. Tampas Green and Gold Professor of Radiology at the University of Vermont College of Medicine, in Burlington, Vermont.

As RSNA chair, Dr Klein pledges to work with the board to further innovation and education in diagnostic imaging and image-guided intervention.

“The RSNA will continue to lead via our efforts to promote the best science and education through our leading journals, to connect industry leaders with our members, to provide core and cutting-edge educational opportunities for our discipline and to offer an outstanding annual scientific and technology-focused annual meeting experience for our attendees both in person and virtually,” Dr Klein said.

An RSNA member since 1984, Dr Klein has served on numerous RSNA committees including the Scientific Program Committee, Education Exhibits Committee, Corporate Relations Committee, Digital Roadmap Content Steering Committee, Refresher Course Committee and Research and Education (R&E) Grant Committee. He is chair of the Margulis Award for Scientific Excellence Committee and the Finance Committee. Dr Klein has also served on the Education Council and is chair of the Publications Council.

In 2018, Dr Klein joined the RSNA Board of Directors. He has served as RSNA Board Liaison for Publications, the Committee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Public Information Committee, Professionalism Committee, Resident and Fellows Committee, Quality Improvement Committee, RSNA/American College of Radiology (ACR) Image Wisely Committee and RSNA/ACR Public Information Website Committee. He became Secretary-Treasurer in 2023.

A radiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston, Dr Mahmood serves as chief of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, where he oversees a service that spans multiple hospitals and facilities in the region. He is director of the Center for Precision Imaging and associate chair of Imaging Sciences in the Department of Radiology at MGH. Dr Mahmood is also professor of radiology at Harvard Medical School. His career arc has broadly emphasized organizational leadership, research, clinical care and mentoring.

As RSNA president, Dr Mahmood will support RSNA’s work as a convener, connecting people globally through innovative research and education programs. He hopes to further RSNA’s mission of advancing radiology research and technology to improve patient care, with a special focus on precision medicine.

“Radiology has always been first to embrace new approaches and technologies, leading to improved diagnostic capabilities and patient outcomes,” Dr Mahmood said. “RSNA is a leader in fostering radiology research and education to integrate these new approaches into clinical practice. Through advances in precision medicine, we will continue to work with our oncology colleagues to vastly improve cancer care in the coming years.”

A member of RSNA since 1997, Dr Mahmood has served on numerous RSNA committees including the Annual Meeting Program Planning Committee, Committee on Scientific Affairs, Molecular Imaging Committee, Research Development Committee, and multiple RSNA journal Editor Search committees. He has served as chair for the RSNA Finance Committee, Grant Program Committee, Board Committee on International Affairs, and Molecular Imaging Scientific Abstract and Educational Exhibit Review Committees. He has served as associate editor and consultant to the editor for the journal Radiology.

Starting in 2016, Dr Mahmood served six years on the RSNA Research and Education (R&E) Foundation Board of Trustees, which provides millions of dollars in funding for radiology research and education every year and ensures continued innovation in the field. He has served on the RSNA Board of Directors since 2017. Before becoming chair of the board in 2023, Dr Mahmood was the RSNA Board Liaison for International Affairs, helping foster best practices and collaboration globally in radiology.