Dr. Atlas is the editor of the leading textbook in the field, the best-selling Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain and Spine, now in its 4th edition and officially translated from English into Mandarin, Spanish, and Portuguese. He is also editor, associate editor, and a member of the editorial boards of numerous scientific journals and has been a member of the boards of many major national and international scientific societies over the past two decades. Dr. Atlas has authored more than 120 scientific publications in leading journals. His research has centered on advanced applications of new MRI technologies in neurologic diseases. Dr. Atlas has trained over 100 neuroradiology fellows, many of whom are now nationally recognized as leaders in the field. He lectures throughout the world on a variety of topics, most notably advances in MRI of the brain, and the key economic issues related to the future of such technology-based advances. He is recognized throughout the world as a leader in both education and clinical research and has been on the Nominating Committee for the Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology for several years. Dr. Atlas has received numerous awards and honors in recognition of his leadership in the field. He was named by his peers in The Best Doctors in America every year since its initial publication, as well as in regional listings, such as The Best Doctors in New York, Silicon Valley's Best Doctors, and other similar publications. He was honored to receive the 2008 Comeback Award and then the 2011 Alumni Achievement Award, the highest career achievement honor for a distinguished alumnus from his alma mater, the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign.

Dr. Atlas's research interests at Hoover Institution and Freeman Spogli Institute center on health policy issues pertaining to the role of technology in health care. At Hoover, he is a Member of Hoover’s Working Group on Health Care Policy and is investigating the role of government in the emerging era of consumerism in health care, both within the United States and globally. His work includes investigations into the effects of government reforms and the changing health care marketplace on access and innovations in technology‐based advances in medicine and is a frequent policy advisor to government leaders in these areas. During the 2008 Presidential campaign, Dr. Atlas was a Senior Advisor for Health Care and the Coordinator of the Health Policy Team for one of the major candidates for President of the United States. At the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, he has particular interests in the evolving health care system of emerging economies, and has had a Fulbright award to collaborate with academic leaders in China on structuring health care solutions for China. Dr. Atlas has also participated with leaders from government and academia on the World Bank’s Commission on Growth and Development. Some of Dr. Atlas's recent publications on health policy include "Relationship between HMO Market Share and the Diffusion and Use of Advanced MRI Technologies" (Journal of the American College of Radiology, 2004), with LC Baker, “Expanding CT and MR availability, imaging utilization in the Medicare population, and the challenge of measuring value” with LC Baker and C Afendulis (Health Affairs, 2008) and the books Power to the Patient: Selected Health Care Issues and Policy Solutions (Hoover Institution Press, 2005) and Reforming America’s Health Care System (Hoover Institution Press, 2010). Dr. Atlas has appeared in interviews about the role of government in health care on television, radio, and other news media, including BBC Radio, The Lehrer News Hour, and in newspapers such as Brazil’s Correio Braziliense, Italy’s Corriere della Sera, and Argentina’s Diario La Nacion. In the private sector, Dr. Atlas is a frequent advisor to start-up entrepreneurs and companies in the life sciences, medical technology, and health IT sectors.

Before his appointments at Stanford University, Dr. Atlas was on the faculty of other leading institutions, including
University of Pennsylvania, Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, and University of California at San Francisco. Dr. Atlas received a B.S. degree in biology from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign and an M.D. degree from the University of Chicago.

Charles started working in MRI in the mid-80's and successfully sat for the registry when it was first offered in 1995. Charles’ career in medical imaging has included working as a Staff Technologist, Lead Tech, Supervisor, Radiology Director, and Medical Center Manager. In his role as Medical Center Manager, he was instrumental in helping to make the cross-sectional imaging departments at UVA a sought after place of employment and has provided a number of unique training opportunities for technologists. Among these opportunities are intraoperative MRI, MR guided focused ultrasound, and Multimodality Cardiovascular Imaging. In his current role at Stanford University he works with technologists, researchers, and physicians to develop and apply innovative techniques for efficient quantitative analysis and display of medical imaging data, including MRI datasets.

Charles is a noted speaker on topics such as MRI Safety, Communications Skills, Workflow Optimization, and Regulatory issues. He has presented or moderated sessions at a large number of SMRT Regionals, SMRT Annual Meetings, RSNA Annual Meetings, and other sponsored meetings.

Charles has been an active member of the SMRT for many years serving in a number of roles. In addition to presenting and moderating, Charles has helped organize regional meetings in the central Virginia area including one President’s Regional. Charles has served as the President for the Central Virginia chapter of the SMRT. Charles has also served on the SMRT Policy Board, the SMRT Executive Board as the Executive Member. As the Executive Member, Charles coordinated and moderated the SMRT/ISMRM Joint Forum at the ISMRM Annual Meeting in Berlin in 2007. Prior to being elected to the office of President, Charles served on the Executive Board as the co-Chair of the External Relations Committee. This role has been critically important in favorably representing the SMRT at meetings such as:
• RSNA Associated Sciences Committee
• Health Professions Network
• The Alliance for Quality Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy

As the External Relations Committee co-chair, Charles also had oversight of the Global Relations sub-Committee which is instrumental in the liaison between the SMRT and all relevant professional bodies worldwide. The endeavours of this committee enable the SMRT to increase its presence and relevance around the world.

As current President of the SMRT, Charles has stated 3 primary goals for his time in office: development and implementation of a viable strategic plan, expansion of collaborative efforts with other like organization’s, and to increase our online content delivery especially with regards to educational resources.