RSNA 2025 Gold Medal Awarded to MRI Innovator Dr. Thomas M. Grist

The Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) has honored Thomas M. Grist, MD, with its highest accolade—the RSNA Gold Medal—for his groundbreaking work in advancing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and his enduring impact on the field of radiology.

Dr. Grist, professor of Radiology and Medical Physics at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison, has been at the forefront of MRI innovation for decades. He is widely recognized for his pivotal contributions to the development of MRI surface coils, contrast agents, and techniques in MR angiography that have become central to modern imaging practice.

“Dr. Grist has been a pioneering force in MRI research and clinical innovation for decades,” said RSNA President Umar Mahmood, MD, PhD. “His contributions—from advancing surface coil and contrast agent technology to developing new techniques in MR angiography—have had a profound and lasting impact on the field of radiology. As a leader, educator and visionary collaborator, Dr. Grist has elevated academic radiology and fostered a culture of innovation that continues to benefit patients worldwide. It is a great honor to recognize his extraordinary career with the RSNA Gold Medal.”

Dr. Grist's career has been marked by a commitment to collaboration, particularly with medical physicists and industry partners, leading to advances in cardiovascular imaging and diagnostic techniques. During his nearly two-decade tenure as chair of the Department of Radiology at UW–Madison, he played a key role in founding the Imaging Sciences Center at the Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research—a hub for translational research and imaging innovation.

An accomplished academic, Dr. Grist has published more than 200 peer-reviewed papers, contributed to four books, authored 16 book chapters, and holds 19 patents. He has delivered lectures around the globe and remains an influential figure in multiple professional organizations.

At RSNA, Dr. Grist has served as chair of the R&E Foundation Board of Trustees and led the Cardiovascular Refresher Course Committee. He is a past president of both the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) and the Society of Chairs of Academic Radiology Departments (SCARD), and he currently serves as president-elect of the International Society for Strategic Studies in Radiology (IS3R).

His numerous honors include fellowship in the American Heart Association, ISMRM, the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, the Society for Advanced Body Imaging, and the American College of Radiology. He was named a distinguished investigator by the Academy for Radiology and Biomedical Imaging Research and received the 2024 Moses & Sylvia Greenfield Award from the American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Dr. Grist earned his undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering from Marquette University and his medical degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin, where he also conducted post-doctoral research at the National Biomedical ESR Center. He completed his radiology residency at Duke University Medical Center before returning to Wisconsin to begin his academic career.

With this Gold Medal recognition, RSNA celebrates a visionary whose work has shaped the course of MRI and continues to influence the future of radiology.