RSNA Press Release

Chicago — Sarah S. Donaldson, M.D., was named chairman of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) Board of Directors today at the Society's annual meeting in Chicago.

Dr. Donaldson has served as associate chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at Stanford University School of Medicine in Stanford, Calif., since 1997, where she is also the Catharine and Howard Avery Professor of Radiation Oncology. In addition, she serves as deputy clinic chief and associate residency program director of radiation oncology at Stanford Hospital and Clinics. She is chief of radiation oncology service and a member of the medical board at Lucile Salter Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford, as well as the medical staff of the VA Palo Alto Health Care System.

"My primary goal as chairman of the RSNA board will be to initiate a comprehensive review of the RSNA strategic plan," Dr. Donaldson said. "I will focus on education via the Internet, the international needs of radiologists, quality improvements in our field and strengthening RSNA's interactions with subspecialty societies. My intent is to listen and to hear the voices of all radiologists and address their concerns, while focusing on the issues identified as central to the RSNA strategic plan."

Dr. Donaldson earned her medical degree in 1968 from Harvard Medical School in Boston. At the University of Washington Hospitals, she completed her internship in general medicine in 1969 and during the same year began her residency at Stanford University Hospital. In 1971, she began a pediatric oncology fellowship at MD Anderson Hospital in Houston, followed in 1972 by a fellowship abroad at the Institut Gustave-Roussy in Villejuif, France.

Dr. Donaldson began her academic appointments at Stanford as an assistant professor of radiation therapy in 1973. From 2001 to 2009, Dr. Donaldson served as the residency program director of radiation oncology at Stanford.

Dr. Donaldson has authored or coauthored over 200 peer-reviewed scientific articles, 78 book chapters and review articles, and two books. She has served on the editorial boards of numerous publications, including Cogent Medicine; International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics; Journal of the American College of Radiology; Journal of Clinical Oncology and Medical and Pediatric Oncology. Dr. Donaldson has been invited to lecture at over 160 institutions and meetings throughout North America, Japan, Europe and Australia. She is a popular visiting professor at many universities and medical schools across North America. Dr. Donaldson presented the Annual Oration in Radiation Oncology at the 1995 RSNA annual meeting.

During her career, Dr. Donaldson has been an active member of several medical organizations and societies, including the American College of Radiology (ACR), American Association for Cancer Research, International Society of Pediatric Oncology, and the National Academy of Sciences. She was the first female president of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) as well as the American Board of Radiology.

She received the Marie Curie Award of the American Association for Women Radiologists in 1998 and the Elizabeth Blackwell Award of the American Medical Women's Association in 2005. She is the recipient of gold medals from ACR and ASTRO, among others. She has served on the advisory boards of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and the MD Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. Donaldson is one of a select few radiologists who are members of the Institute of Medicine.

As a longtime member of RSNA, Dr. Donaldson has served on the Board of Trustees of the Research and Education Fund, the Scientific Exhibits Committee and the Public Information Advisors Network. She was elected second vice president in 2003. In 2005, she was elected to the RSNA Board of Directors and has been the liaison for publications and communications since 2006.

Note: Copies of RSNA 2010 news releases and electronic images will be available online at RSNA.org/press10 beginning Monday, Nov. 29.

RSNA is an association of more than 44,000 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)