The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR) successfully held its 71st Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM) on a completely virtual basis for the very first time in its history on Thursday 16th – Sunday 19th September 2021.
The 71st RANZCR ASM brought together hundreds of clinical radiologists, radiation oncologists, researchers, students and trainees from all over the world in different time zones. Under the theme of Elysium: Now and The Future with AI, the RANZCR ASM 2021 unveiled the emerging trends in artificial intelligence (AI) from multiple perspectives, explored the power of AI in diagnosis, treatment, and patient outcomes in clinical radiology and radiation oncology. Spanning over three and a half days, the ASM 2021 proudly presented over 250 thought-provoking presentations across nearly 60 sessions, educational workshops and panel discussions, a dedicated Trainee Day for each discipline, as well as a number of prestigious awards and grant programs alongside virtual industry exhibitions – everything delivered in an on-line environment.
Virtual Exhibition
The ASM 2021 attracted a spectacular list of internationally and nationally acclaimed luminaries in the field including Prof. Ben Slotman on MRI-guided adaptive radiotherapy, Dr Anne Osborne and Prof. Paul Parizel on neuroradiology, Prof. Andrew Loblaw on prostate cancer, Dr Jonathan Kruskal on post-COVID rebuilding, Dr Melanie Walker, Prof. Cristopher A. Meyer, Dr Heather Moriarty, Dr. Ferco H. Berger, and more. They came together to shed light on cutting-edge technology, discuss ground-breaking research findings and new data, tackle challenges in cancer treatment, highlighting the opportunities in radiology and radiation oncology heading into the future.
“It is an extraordinary occasion for our professionals to come together to reflect on the current research, share their knowledge and expertise, and discover the latest innovations in the field. As a leading peak body representing clinical radiologists and radiation oncologists in Australia and New Zealand, RANZCR is committed to enabling medical advancements and helping shape a healthcare system to generate the best patient outcome which is at heart of our work at the College.” Dr Lance Lawler, RANZCR President
At the opening plenary, Dr Aengus Tran shared his story of his journey from a medical student to a CEO of a medical start-up. Professor Ben Slotman introduced a streamlined smart delivery of state-of-the-art MRI-guided adaptive radiation therapy. Professor Allen Cheng, former Victorian Deputy Chief Health Officer, delivered this year’s Nisbet Oration, a coveted honour that is part of RANZCR tradition.
The plenary kicked off the following days full of thought-provoking discussions and presentations. In addition to a high-quality scientific program, the ASM 2021 is an arena of scientific competitions for further learning and education to nurture medical advancements.
Virtual Lobby
On the second conference day, the RANZCR CLiP Kaggle Challenge concluded with presentations from the winning solutions from two teams who won the first and seventh place. With a total of $50,000 prize and run from March to June, the inaugural Kaggle challenge was set by RANZCR to encourage data scientists worldwide to develop an algorithm which can detect the mispositioning of catheters and lines on chest x-rays reducing human error. It attracted over 1,500 teams of health professionals and data engineers from around the world with 28,112 solution entries this year.
At the Varian session, Dr Mihir Shanker stood out as the winner of the 2021 Varian Prize from twelve students from Australia and New Zealand with his research presentation on stereotactic ablative radiotherapy. The annual Varian Prize recognises an outstanding trainee for the best scientific paper in Radiation Oncology with the aim of encouraging medical research.
Virtual Welcome
At the Branch of Origin, clinical radiology trainees representing their branch in each state and New Zealand competed for the best presentation prize and a ticket to the Radiological Society of North America scientific meeting 2022 in Chicago, USA. Dr Hugh McHugh from New Zealand garnered the highly coveted honour, beating five other competitive presentations.
While it is exciting to recognise excellence and to unveil the winners post the ASM, it is equally important to recognise the significant contributions and achievements made across our sector. On day three, RANZCR put a spotlight on our Australian radiation oncologists through the APROSIG Special Session, showcasing the great work they have done in the Asia-Pacific region and highlighting their contribution to radiation oncology in low-medium income countries in the region.
“It was a great scientific meeting that selected high-quality abstracts for presentations and discussions from the past two years. There was also an excellent selection of international speakers. Although we could not meet in person, we still managed to come together in a way to share our passion for our professions.” Professor Farshad Foroudi, 71st RANZCR ASM co-convenor and Radiation Oncologist
Of note, RANZCR was delighted to welcome five recipients of the RANZCR Inaugural ASM Grant Program to attend the conference. Identified as Māori, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, these junior doctors and medical students were invited to learn about two fascinating medical disciplines: clinical radiology and radiation oncology. The RANZCR ASM Grant Program is a key action to deliver on RANZCR’s ongoing commitment to improving healthcare outcome for Māori, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The 71st RANZCR Annual Scientific Meeting concluded with a top-notch scientific program delivered in a smooth virtual way. RANZCR is looking forward to a grand get-together at the 72nd Annual Scientific Meeting in Adelaide, South Australia next year!
Source: RANZCR
