Conferences play an important role in keeping scientists and clinicians fresh and up-to-date on the latest technology and ideas. Every discipline has yearly meetings that bring researchers from all over the world together. Some of these meetings are huge impersonal events (e.g. the RSNA brings over 60 thousand people to Chicago each year), but others are small and intimate. Often these smaller meetings are where the true experts get together and the most advanced developments in the field first come to light.
This year, the faculty and staff of the Radiology Department at Cincinnati Children’s are hosting the 27th annual meeting of the MR Angiography Working Group (also known as the MR Angio Club). The meeting will be held at the Kingsgate Marriott, September 15-18. This international meeting has been bringing researchers and clinicians together to share and explore the latest advances and applications of Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA) since 1989. In the world of scientific meetings, this one has developed a reputation for both technical excellence and robust social programs where the science is always at the forefront.
MRA is a vital clinical technique for visualizing blood vessels and blood flow without X- rays. It is used in millions of patients each year and impacts clinical care daily, accounting for an estimated 10% of MR examinations. MRA is more versatile than conventional catheter angiography because it can visualize the lumen, vessel walls, organs, flow features (e.g. flow streamlines), and tissue viability. It is also less invasive than conventional x-ray-guided techniques.
The first day of the workshop, Tuesday, September 15, will consist of an educational course for students, technologists, scientists and clinicians new to the field. The educational day is designed to provide expert insight into a wide range of MRA topics from leading experts and practitioners. The lectures will cover almost every technical and clinical aspect of MRA and MR flow measurements. In addition, CME and CEU credits will be available for clinicians and technologists who attend. Registration for the educational day is independent of the rest of the conference, but many attendees of the educational day will elect to stay for the scientific sessions later in the week.
Following the educational day, there will be three full days of scientific content. Each day will consist of several sessions comprised of peer-reviewed, submitted abstracts grouped by topic. Poster presentations will be available for viewing during breaks and in the evenings. Students presenting their research at the meeting will compete for the Potchen Award for Best Oral Presentation and the Passariello Award for Best Poster.
The theme of this year’s meeting is loosely based around the game of baseball, which in many ways serves as a great metaphor for what we do. It is a game of balance, nuance and strategy–much like MRA! With approximately 150 attendees, and an outstanding home team, we expect this meeting to be a home run!
Contributed by Charles Dumoulin, PhD and edited by Anthony Dandino, (RT-MR).
