Dear Friends, dear Colleagues

I hope you are looking forward to the European Congress of Radiology (ECR) 2016 as much as I am. Every year I love being at this wonderful event and it is a great privilege to be taking part as the Congress President this year. The task of putting together the programme for this year’s congress has been long, but very enjoyable, and I would now like to introduce a few of the highlights to you.

ECR 2016 Congress President, Prof. Katrine Riklund, from Umeå University Hospital, Sweden.

First of all, the ‘ESR meets’ sessions are always among the most anticipated every year and are a great example of how our congress brings people together from throughout the world. This year you will have the chance to learn about some fascinating topics, such as breast radiology in the Nordic countries, state-of-the-art radiology in Japan, and the transition from practice to reality in Colombia. It is important to note that these sessions are not aimed just at attendees from the guest countries, but at everyone, with the idea that you can discover something new. The same can be said of our guest discipline, nuclear medicine, which will feature in a joint session on hybrid imaging. You can also witness the launch of the new European Society for Hybrid Medical Imaging (ESHI) at the congress, and I encourage you to visit the ESHI booth in the entrance hall, where you can pick plenty of information about the new society.

The new formats introduced to the educational programme last year, under the European Excellence in Education E3 heading, will remain this year, which means you will find sessions with the right level of complexity, wherever you are in your professional development. From the Rising Stars Programme to the ECR Master Classes, there is something to suit everyone, and the sessions are marked with the knowledge level they are intended for. I strongly suggest seeking out your level and making the most of these sessions.

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ECR Today spoke with ECR 2016 Congress President, Prof. Katrine Åhlström Riklund, deputy head of the department of radiation sciences and director of the medical school at Umeå University, Sweden, to find out a little bit about next year’s annual meeting.

ECR 2016 Congress President, Prof. Katrine Åhlström Riklund, from Umeå, Sweden.

ECR Today: What will be the highlights of ECR 2016?
Katrine Åhlström Riklund: It is hard to tell what the specific highlights will be more than one year ahead, due to the rapid development of imaging. The highlights will be the entire congress through its well-developed programme, which covers the whole range of education from student level to advanced subspecialists. I should say the added content of hybrid imaging in several sessions would make the programme even more attractive. Besides the educational and scientific programme, the grand opening ceremony and social activities will also be memorable events.

ECRT: Will there be any new additions to the programme?
KAR: As always, there will be innovations at the ECR. The content of hybrid imaging will be spread across several sessions and not in one single session. The new session formats introduced at ECR 2015, with the European Excellence in Education (E3) programme – divided into five levels (the Rising Stars programme, European Diploma Prep Sessions and Beauty of Basic Knowledge programme, ECR Academies and ECR Master Classes) will be continued. These levels cover the entire span from undergraduate medical education to subspecialised continuing professional development. Getting involved in the sessions is important for retaining knowledge.

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As every year, the ESR presidency changed hands at the European Congress of Radiology in March, with the new president, Prof. Guy Frija, from Paris, taking the reins from Prof. Gabriel P. Krestin. At the same time, the ECR 2014 Congress President, Prof. Valentin E. Sinitsyn, from Moscow, took over from Prof. José I. Bilbao as chairman of the Congress Committee.

In addition to these regular changes, a number of other positions on the Executive Council have been filled by new faces. First, Prof. Bernd Hamm, from Berlin, has moved up the chain into Prof. Sinitsyn’s position as 1st Vice-Chairperson of the Congress Committee, with Prof. Katrine Åhlström Riklund, from Umea, Sweden, elected to the role of 2nd Vice-Chairperson.
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