Hedvig Hricak, MD, PhD

2012-2013 BCRF Project:
(made possible by generous support from Macy's)

The BCRF-sponsored project, “Global Applicability of the BI-RADS Lexicon to Mammographic Detection of Breast Cancer,” has provided support to the Department of Radiology and the Breast Imaging Service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center for the establishment of a world-class clinical research training program for the global breast imaging community. The use of Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) is required for the initiation of clinical breast cancer imaging research, a breast cancer database, and for screening programs.

This program, established in 2004 by Dr. Hricak, provides selected radiologists who come to MSKCC from around the world with intensive, individualized instruction in breast imaging interpretation and clinical research methodology, including the use of the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) lexicon. While at its inception the program focused solely on South East Europe, thanks to continued support from BCRF, the program has expanded to also include radiologists from Russia, China, Italy, Serbia and Australia. The program has resulted in the publication and dissemination of translations of the BI-RADS lexicon (necessary for building a breast cancer database, performing breast cancer imaging research, and implementing screening programs) in Croatia, Russia, Serbia and China; the initiation of breast screening in Serbia and Croatia, and the organization of educational symposia and other efforts to improve breast imaging practice and research in Serbia and China.

Through a “teach the teachers” model, this program aims to improve breast imaging interpretation, standardize the reporting of breast imaging studies, improve communication between radiologists and referring physicians, and facilitate data collection for longitudinal breast imaging research globally. In the 2012-2013 grant year, Dr. Hricak’s team will continue to expand their work and looks towards extending their global family to South America.

Mid-year Progress:In an effort to identify the most talented candidates for this prestigious program, Dr. Hricak has expanded the recruitment committee to include leadership from the European School of Radiology (ESOR). Working with ESOR, Dr. Hricak's team has identified their first candidate from South America and in the latter half of the 2012-2013 grant period a radiologist from Uruguay will join this BCRF-funded training. In the first half of the 2012-2013 grant-year, there are radiologists from Australia, Italy, and India training at MSKCC, working on eight research projects. In the ninth year of this program, and with the generous support of BCRF, Dr. Hricak's team has developed a global training initiative, which educates future breast imaging leaders.

Bio:
Hedvig Hricak is Chairman of the Department of Radiology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. She holds a senior position within the Program of Molecular and Pharmacology Therapeutics at the Sloan-Kettering Institute, is a Professor at Gerstner Sloan-Kettering Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and is a Professor of Radiology at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University. She earned her MD degree from the University of Zagreb and her Dr. Med. Sc. from the Karolinska Institute. In 2005 she was awarded an honorary doctorate in medicine (Dr.h.c.) from Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, Germany. Prior to joining MSKCC, she was a professor of radiology, radiation oncology, urology and gynecology at the University of California at San Francisco and was the chief of the abdominal section of the Department of Radiology at the UCSF Medical Center. She has helped develop applications in ultrasound, MR, and CT for gynecological cancers as well as MR and MR spectroscopy for prostate cancer. She continues to investigate diagnostic methods for cancer detection, staging, and management and is involved in developing clinical approaches for molecular imaging of cancer.

Dr. Hricak is a member of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academies of Science. She serves as a member of the Nuclear Radiation Study Board of the National Academies. She is also a "foreign" member of the Croatian Academy of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Hricak serves on the committees or executive boards for a number of medical societies and served as President of the California Academy of Medicine (1999). She has also served as President of the Society for the Advancement of Women's Imaging (1997-1999), President of the Society of Uroradiology (2000-2003), and President of the New York Roentgen Society (2004-2005). For the year 2010, she is President of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

Dr. Hricak has authored or co-authored 342 peer-reviewed original research articles, 159 review/editorial articles, 133 book chapters. She has given more than 130 named or keynote lectures and has been a visiting professor at more than 30 institutions worldwide. She has had multiple government sponsored grants throughout her career and is currently the PI on 3 NIH funded awards. She is a fellow of the American College of Radiology, the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, and the Society of Uroradiology. In recognition of her career accomplishments, she has received the Marie Curie Award of the American Association of Women Radiologists, the gold medals of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine and the Association of University Radiologists, the Béclere medal of the International Society of Radiology, the Morocco Medal of Merit, and the Katarina Zrinska Croatian presidential award. She is an honorary fellow of the Royal College of Radiologists and an honorary member of the British Institute of Radiology, German Radiological Society, Austrian Roentgen Society, Croatian Society of Radiology, Journées Françaises de Radiologie, Swedish Society of Medical Radiology, Chinese Radiological Society, Japanese Radiological Society, Israel Radiological Association, and Indian Radiological and Imaging Association.