RSNA Press Release

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

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Sarah S. Donaldson, M.D.

Dr. Donaldson is the Catharine and Howard Avery Professor of Radiation Oncology at Stanford University School of Medicine in Stanford, California. She serves as associate residency program director of radiation oncology at Stanford Hospital and Clinics and is chief of radiation oncology service at Lucile Salter Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford.

As president-elect, Dr. Donaldson will help to shape and implement RSNA's vision and strategic goals to advance the radiological sciences and embrace the model of patient-centered care. "As a global leader in radiology, RSNA must continually evolve with the changing medical landscape," she said. "As we embark upon a new era in healthcare, it is imperative that RSNA foster the development of new technologies, diversify and expand educational opportunities, and facilitate informatics strategies to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the care we deliver. I look forward to carrying out the Society's new strategic plan, which encompasses all these initiatives and lays a strong foundation for the practice of patient-centered radiology."

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 more than 220 peer-reviewed scientific articles, 81 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 more than 200 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 Society of Clinical Oncology, International Society of Pediatric Oncology, American Radium Society, Pediatric Radiation Oncology Society 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, American Radium Society and ASTRO. 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 served as the liaison for publications and communications from 2006 to 2010.

Note: Copies of RSNA 2011 news releases and electronic images will be available online at RSNA.org/press11 beginning Monday, Nov. 28.

RSNA is an association of more than 48,000 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)