Ubuntu — I Am Because We Are
HELLO AND WELCOME TO ALL
It is my great honor and privilege to welcome you to the 2026 ISMRM & ISMRT Annual Meeting & Exhibition in the magnificent city of Cape Town, South Africa. This is a truly historic occasion: the first time our Society has held its Annual Meeting on the African continent. I hope that this a meeting you never forget.
I want to have a special welcome to our colleagues attending from every corner of Africa, especially those attending for the first time. Your presence here is not just meaningful, it is essential. The growth of MRI research and clinical practice in this part of the world is one of the most exciting developments in our field, and having you here, sharing your work, your perspectives, and your stories, enriches every one of us. We are so glad you are here!
The theme for our 2026 meeting is Ubuntu, a Southern African philosophy beautifully translated as “I am because we are.” Ubuntu captures something at the very heart of what makes our Society special: the understanding that our individual achievements in magnetic resonance are inseparable from the community that supports, challenges, and inspires us. Whether you are a physicist, engineer, clinician, radiographer, or trainee, you are part of this community—and this community is stronger because of you.
SOMETHING NEW: STUDY GROUP DAY
I am especially excited about a major innovation in this year’s program. On Sunday, our scientific meeting will kick off with Study Group Day. Rather than the one-hour business meetings scattered through the week, Sunday will feature extended sessions designed for deeper engagement, networking, and relationship-building within and across study groups.
If you have never participated in a study group, this is a wonderful opportunity to explore the communities within our community. You are warmly invited to drop in—no membership required. I believe Study Group Day will embody the Ubuntu spirit beautifully, and I hope it becomes a lasting tradition.
MRI READING ROOM SIMULATION
Furthering the Ubuntu spirit, attendees can also participate in Case-Based Sessions that simulate the reading room experience. Each small-group session will be led by expert faculty who will guide participants through case interpretation, highlight clinical decision-making processes, discuss protocol optimization, and review structured reporting considerations. We hope that this gives more opportunities for collaboration between technologists, scientists, radiologists, and other physicians.
OUR NAMED LECTURES
We have an outstanding lineup of Named Lecturers this year, with a truly global reach. Our Lauterbur Lecture will be delivered by Kirsten Donald, MBChB, Ph.D., professor of paediatric neurology at the University of Cape Town. Dr. Donald’s research on early brain health and development in resource-limited settings—using structural, functional, and diffusion imaging as well as low-field MRI approaches across six countries in Africa and South Asia—is a powerful example of what MRI can accomplish when we bring our science to where it is needed most. Maruf Adewole, Ph.D., executive director of the Medical Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (MAI Lab) in Lagos, Nigeria, will deliver the NIBIB New Horizons Lecture. Dr. Adewole’s pioneering work on AI-driven medical imaging solutions for resource-constrained settings exemplifies Ubuntu in action—building inclusive datasets, local capacity, and global health equity through initiatives spanning Africa and beyond.
Richard W. Bowtell, Ph.D., director of the Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre at the University of Nottingham, will deliver the Mansfield Lecture. A Fellow of the ISMRM and a veteran of 38 Annual Meetings, Richard’s career in MRI hardware and technique development is an extraordinary record of sustained contribution to our field.
THE PLENARIES
Our plenary sessions are always a highlight, and this year is no exception. I strongly encourage you to attend—they are designed for the broadest possible audience and are consistently among the sessions that attendees remember most. In particular, Monday’s plenary will be particularly relevant: MRI in Africa: Current State and Future Opportunities. Check the program for the full schedule of topics and times.
ACCESSIBILITY & MINIHUBS
We know that some members of our community are unable to travel to Cape Town for many different reasons. We are continuing the MiniHub program, and this year we are pleased to offer five MiniHubs around the world—in Australia, Canada, France, Japan, and the United States—to bring some of the networking, discussion, and community of the main meeting to those who cannot be here in person. We hope this helps improve accessibility and extends the reach of our Annual Meeting.
THANK YOU
As always, none of this would be possible without an extraordinary team. I want to thank Katy Keenan, our Annual Meeting Program Chair, whose vision shaped the Ubuntu theme, the Study Group Day, and so much of what makes this meeting special. The entire Annual Meeting Program Committee has worked tirelessly, and the results speak for themselves. Thank you also to the ISMRM Central Office, under the leadership of our Executive Director Anne-Marie Kahrovic, for the monumental effort of bringing a meeting of this scale to life—and to a new continent, no less!
We are deeply grateful to our Corporate Members for their continued financial support. Please attend the Gold Corporate Lunch Symposia during the week and the Bronze Corporate Symposium on Tuesday evening!
FINALLY
Do come to the opening reception. Say hello to old friends and make new ones. Seek out a session outside your usual comfort zone—you never know what you might discover. Come to the Awards Ceremony and celebrate our newest Gold Medalists, Senior Fellows, and the people who have made extraordinary contributions to our field.
Ubuntu teaches us that we find ourselves through one another. I hope that this week in Cape Town you will learn something new, forge a new collaboration, find a new idea, and feel the power of community. It is because of each of you that our Society thrives.
Thank you for being here! Enjoy Cape Town.
Mark A. Griswold, Ph.D.
2025-2026 ISMRM President
