04 June 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: ISMRM
Phone: 510-841-1899
Email: press@ismrm.org
SMRT PASSES THE GAVEL TO NEW PRESIDENT SHAWNA FARQUHARSON, M.SC.(R)., IN MONTRÉAL, QC, CANADA.
CONCORD, CA, USA, June 2019 – The Society for MR Radiographers & Technologists (SMRT), a Section of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) has appointed Shawna Farquharson, M.Sc.(R), as its new President of SMRT at the conclusion of their 2019 Annual Meeting in Montréal, QC, Canada. Shawna currently is the Chief Research Radiographer at The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health in Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia.
“First, I would like to say that I feel extremely honored and humbled to have been elected as President of the most important organization for MRI Radiographers and Technologists around the globe. I see it as an opportunity to both give back to all those that have supported and mentored me throughout my career, and to pay it forward to those who will become the future leaders of our profession,” said Shawna.
As president for the 2019-2020 term, Shawna will continue to empower MR Radiographers and Technologists around the world through SMRT educational offerings to actively bridge the gap between scientific advances and clinical translation. Shawna stated, “I believe as Radiographers & Technologists we are uniquely positioned to help facilitate this, as we often have both the technical and clinical knowledge within our individual areas of expertise. I am privileged to be serving alongside the esteemed ISMRM President Prof. Lawrence Wald, who also advocates strong collaborations between the ISMRM & SMRT and believes in the importance of fostering collaborations between Ph.D.’s, M.D.’s, MRI Radiographers and Technologists. This year, the SMRT will continue to strengthen its alignment with the ISMRM because we share the common interest of the ongoing translation of scientific advances to improve patient care.
Improving patient care is ultimately the reason why so many MRI Radiographers and Technologists around the world are so passionate about our profession. And this is why we are so personally invested and committed to our ongoing professional education. With this in mind, the priority objectives for my term as President will include:
- Establishing a monthly ‘Virtual Meeting Education Program’ which will be freely available to SMRT members – and will include live presentations given by MR experts focusing on a wide range of MR topics
- Developing ‘Online Education Packages’ specifically for our SMRT members to improve global access to advanced education and training programs
- Increasing support and identifying opportunities for local educational meetings, by implementing an SMRT National Chapter & Division organizational structure which has been designed to help grow our SMRT membership in all regions around the globe
As President, I am privileged to be in the position of helping steer the SMRT organization in to the next decade whilst preparing the organization for the challenges ahead. I am fortunate to embark on this challenge with the support of an extremely strong leadership team and Policy Board – for which I am already grateful. I will be continuing to work closely with the SMRT Past President – Chris Kokkinos, the SMRT President Elect – Nancy Beluk, and the SMRT Associate Executive Director – Kerry Crockett, to ensure there is continuity and strong leadership whilst we develop and transition to our new strategic plan.”
About SMRT:
The Society for MR Radiographers & Technologists (SMRT), a Section of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) is the leading non-profit organization that provides an international forum for education, information and research in magnetic resonance for radiographers and technologists throughout the world.
The SMRT was established by technologists, clinicians and scientists of the ISMRM as a forum for radiographers and technologists to share their expertise and educational resources, with a common goal of improving healthcare for people worldwide.
To find out more about the Society for MR Radiographers & Technologists (SMRT), please call +1 925-825-SMRT (7678), Fax +1 510-841-2340, or visit our website at www.smrt.org.
SMRT, One Concord Center, 2300 Clayton Road, Suite 620, Concord, CA 94520 USA
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