RSNA Press Release

CHICAGO — Today the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) awarded honorary membership to three individuals who have distinguished themselves as outstanding contributors to the field of radiology and its allied sciences. The recipients were Jian-Ping Dai, M.D., from Beijing, China; Maximilian F. Reiser, M.D., from Munich, Germany; and Gustav K. von Schulthess, M.D., Ph.D., from Zurich, Switzerland.

Jian-Ping Dai, M.D.

Jian-Ping Dai, M.D., is regarded by fellow radiologists as a major influence in the development and advancement of radiology practice in China.

"Dr. Dai's strong and thoughtful leadership of Chinese radiology has placed imaging in the forefront of medical specialties throughout the global community," said RSNA President Theresa C. McLoud, M.D.

Dr. Dai said he accepts this honor on behalf of all the radiologists in China. "Thirty years ago, the Chinese people resolutely embarked on the historic journey of reform and an opening up to the international community," Dr. Dai said. "This new policy afforded me the opportunity to travel abroad and start my 'personal learning in the global community' and to work with international colleagues towards universal standards of quality care for our patients.”

Dr. Dai has been an RSNA member since 1991 and is active in many organizations within China. He served as president of the Chinese Society of Radiology and as chief editor of the Chinese Journal of Radiology from 1996 to 2005. In 1987, Dr. Dai established the Chinese Society of Neuroradiology. He currently serves as vice president of the Chinese Medical Association, Chinese Hospital Association, Chinese Doctor Association and China Association of Medical Equipment.

In addition to being active in many radiology organizations, Dr. Dai was vice minister of the Games Services Department for the Beijing Organizing Committee of the 2008 Olympic Games.

Dr. Dai received his medical training and completed his radiology residency at Beijing Xuanwu Hospital. He completed his fellowship in the neuroradiology division of the Department of Radiology at Massachusetts General Hospital. Upon returning to China, Dr. Dai worked with C.C. Wang, M.D., to create China’s first full-time neuroimaging center and introduced neurointerventional therapy to the country.

Dr. Dai currently is a professor of neuroradiology in the Beijing Neurosurgical Institute of Beijing Tiantan Hospital at the Capital University of Medical Services. He also serves as the president of Beijing Tiantan Hospital as well as the principal advisor for radiology to the Chinese Ministry of Health.

Maximilian F. Reiser, M.D.

Maximilian F. Reiser, M.D., has made his mark among fellow radiologists by becoming a leader in European radiology and an internationally recognized scholar on the clinical applications of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) in the body.

"Those of you who know or have worked with Dr. Reiser recognize his energy, strong work ethic and dedication to scholarship and excellence," said RSNA President Theresa C. McLoud, M.D.

An RSNA member since 1990, Dr. Reiser has been a member of the RSNA Public Information Advisors Network and at RSNA 2007 served on the panel for the Sunday Image Interpretation Session and moderated a special focus session on radiation dosage.

"RSNA, both the organization and the scientific and educational meeting, are exemplary and outstanding. Receiving honorary membership from the distinguished society is more than I would ever have dreamed," Dr. Reiser said.

After receiving his medical degree from Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, Dr. Reiser went on to complete a residency at the Technical University of Munich. Academic appointments include professor and chair of radiology at the University of Bonn, chair of the academic promotion committee of the Munich University medical faculty and chair of the vascular center and the breast center of Munich University Hospitals. He is currently a professor and chair of the Department of Clinical Radiology at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and was recently elected dean of the Munich University medical faculty.

Dr. Reiser supervised the European Congress of Radiology (ECR) as it moved forward in creating a new program designed to encourage more interdisciplinary exchange. Under his guidance, ECR was able to draw more than 17,000 attendees from over 90 countries and now is the second largest radiologic congress worldwide. He has been a part of the ECR Board of Directors since 2000 and is currently the second vice president of the European Society of Radiology.

In addition to the RSNA honorary membership, Dr. Reiser has received the Holthusen Ring of the German Radiological Society and honorary membership in the Austrian Radiological Society, Hellenic Radiological Society, Korean Radiological Society and U.K. Royal College of Radiology. He is also a member of the Leopoldina, the German National Academy of Sciences. Dr. Reiser has authored or co-authored more than 700 peer-reviewed research manuscripts and reviews, as well as five textbooks.

Gustav K. von Schulthess, M.D., Ph.D.

Gustav K. von Schulthess, M.D., Ph.D., is internationally known as a radiology pioneer, leader and visionary. His accomplishments mirror his dedication and passion to the field.

"Dr. von Schulthess' leadership serves as an example of his endless enthusiasm, vigor and dedication to education," said RSNA President Theresa C. McLoud, M.D. "All of these attributes are combined with his charm, enthusiasm and depth of knowledge."

An RSNA member since 1985, Dr. von Schulthess was the president of the European Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine and Biology and received an honorary membership in 1996. He served as president of the Swiss Society of Nuclear Medicine from 1996 to 1999 and received an honorary degree in medicine from the University of Copenhagen in 2007.

"My education and affiliations have been at the crossroads of Europe and North America," Dr. von Schulthess said. "I am grateful to have imbibed the American spirit, and I am proud that RSNA honors my 'go between' role in this way."

During his graduate education, Dr. von Schulthess pursued both medicine and physics, enrolling in the Division in Health Sciences and Technology program through Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). In 1980, he graduated with a physics doctorate from MIT and a medical degree from Harvard. Upon returning to Switzerland, Dr. von Schulthess trained in internal medicine at University Hospital Zurich before pursing a residency in nuclear medicine. He served as a junior staff member at University Hospital Zurich, a research fellow at the University of California, San Francisco, and the director of body MR imaging at University Hospital Zurich, where he was named acting director of the Division of Nuclear Medicine in the Department of Medical Radiology.

Dr. von Schulthess is currently the director of the Division of Nuclear Medicine and the co-director of the MR Centre at University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland. He is also a professor of nuclear medicine at the University of Zurich and is the co-founder and chief scientific advisor of Timaq, a company providing expertise for the pharmaceutical industry and contract research organizations in clinical trials. Dr. von Schulthess is most commonly known internationally as the co-director of the International Diagnostic Course in Davos, Switzerland, which draws more than 1,000 participants and over 40 top-ranking radiology and nuclear medicine professors.

RSNA is an association of more than 42,000 radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists and related scientists committed to excellence in patient care through education and research. The Society is based in Oak Brook, Ill. (RSNA.org)