The Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) awarded the Gold Medal, the organization’s highest honor, to three individuals at the RSNA 100th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting: Gary J. Becker, MD, of Tucson; Allen S. Lichter, MD, FASCO, of Alexandria, Virginia; and Etta D. Pisano, MD, of Charleston, South Carolina.
Gary J. Becker, MD
Over the course of his 36-year career in radiology, the name Gary J. Becker, MD, has become synonymous with the word “leader.” In addition to serving as 2009 RSNA President, Dr. Becker served as Executive Director of the American Board of Radiology (ABR) from 2007 until his retirement in mid-2014. Among his many accomplishments, Dr. Becker oversaw ABR’s critical transition from oral to computer-based exams for certification in diagnostic radiology.
Dr. Becker completed his residency in diagnostic radiology at Indiana University, where he served as Professor and Chief of the Vascular Section. In 1990, after 20 years at Indiana University, he moved to Miami Cardiac and Vascular Institute serving as Director of Interventional Radiology and ultimately as Assistant Medical Director of the Institute and Medical Director of Clinical Research until 2004.
After serving as Branch Chief of Image Guided Intervention in the Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis at the National Cancer Institute, Dr. Becker moved to the University of Arizona in 2005, serving as a professor in the interventional section of the Department of Radiology.
Founding Editor of the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology, Dr. Becker has served as a manuscript reviewer, editorial board member, associate editor, and editor for more than 20 journals.
Allen S. Lichter, MD, FASCO
Allen S. Lichter, MD, FASCO, has served as Chief Executive Officer of ASCO since 2006. With research focusing on breast cancer, Dr. Lichter was an early advocate of the breast-conserving approach and conducted one of the trials that found the use of lumpectomy and radiation therapy to be as effective as mastectomy. This work, along with other trials conducted in the United States and Europe, revolutionized breast cancer treatment standards.
Dr. Lichter previously served as the Director of the Radiation Therapy Section of the National Cancer Institute’s Radiation Oncology Branch. As Chair and Professor of Radiation Oncology and Dean of the University of Michigan Medical School, Dr. Lichter introduced an innovative curriculum and oversaw creation of a new Biomedical Science Research facility.
At ASCO, Dr. Lichter has overseen projects including the CancerLinQ™ rapid learning system and the Quality Oncology Practice Initiative. He was Founding Chairman of the Conquer Cancer Foundation, ASCO’s philanthropic arm.
A former coeditor of Oncology, Dr. Lichter also served in editorial positions with the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics, and Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Etta D. Pisano, MD
Women, in particular, and radiologists, in general, owe a debt of gratitude to Etta D. Pisano, MD, for her tireless efforts to develop, apply, and test imaging technology for the early detection and diagnosis of breast cancer and other breast problems.
Dr. Pisano became the first female Dean of the College of Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), Charleston, in 2010. Her biggest contributions to radiology have been the research and testing she has done to integrate emerging technology into breast imaging; her groundbreaking study, Digital Mammographic Imaging Screening Tool (DMIST), was the largest clinical trial ever led by a radiologist and provided essential information about the efficacy of digital mammography.
Dr. Pisano served MUSC as Vice President for Medical Affairs and Dean of the College of Medicine from 2010 to 2014. Previously, Dr. Pisano had served in numerous positions at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill and alsoo served as founding Chief of Breast Imaging at UNC Hospitals.
In addition to leading DMIST, Dr. Pisano has served as principal investigator for over 30 other studies. She has authored or coauthored 145 articles appearing in peer-reviewed journals and has been a reviewer for more than a dozen journals, including Radiology and RadioGraphics.
The Gold Medal Awards were presented to Dr. Becker, Dr. Lichter, and Dr. Pisano on December 2, 2014, during the RSNA Annual Meeting in Chicago. ■
