CIRSE’s Membership Committee: In conversation with Dr. Alex Barnacle

Nov. 20, 2024

It’s good to be a CIRSE member! Dr. Alex Barnacle, one of CIRSE’s most dedicated members who has held numerous positions within the society, agrees. We spoke to her to discuss her new role as the chairperson of CIRSE’s membership committee.

Dr. Barnacle is a consultant paediatric interventional radiologist at the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London, England. She has advocated tirelessly for women in IR and within CIRSE and is a driving force promoting clinical excellence in paediatric IR.  She has given dozens of lectures at CIRSE events and has worked on many CIRSE committees, subcommittees, and projects. In addition to her new role at the head of the membership committee, she is currently also a member of the CIRSE Executive Committee, a member of the ECIO 2025 SPC, co-chairperson of the paediatric IR task force, chairperson of the social media subcommittee, and has just concluded a two-year term as chairperson of the standards of practice committee.

CIRSE: Do you feel CIRSE membership has influenced your career? 

Barnacle: CIRSE has honestly been one of the most important influences on my career. I can still remember my first CIRSE meeting and how incredible it felt to know there was such a large community for me to be a part of and learn from. Over the years, CIRSE’s congresses and online educational content have been central to the growth of my knowledge of IR and the development of my career. My professional life would be far less rich without it.

Dr. Barnacle giving the prestigious Josef Roesch Lecture at CIRSE 2022.

Dr. Barnacle alongside the new CIRSE Executive Committee at CIRSE 2024. 

CIRSE: What motivated you to want to be the chairperson of the membership committee?

Barnacle: I want to contribute, having gained so much from CIRSE over many years. I am more aware than ever of all the interventional radiologists, students, nurses, and radiographers whose involvement enriches the organization and without whom this society would be a meaningless endeavour. I am committed to continuing to make CIRSE a welcoming and inclusive organization for everyone involved in IR and hope I can be a meaningful voice and a listening ear for our members.

CIRSE: How have you observed CIRSE’s membership growing and changing in the past years? What do you think are the main influences?

Barnacle: The increasing number of student members at the congresses and the high-quality work of our junior members in the European Trainee Forum throughout the year have been inspirational to watch. These members bring an energy and enthusiasm to the society that inspires and encourages me so much. And in recent times, I’ve been thrilled to see more and more female IRs seeking to find their voice within CIRSE. As you know, I have advocated in many ways for women to find opportunities for influence and growth within the organization.

CIRSE: The requirements for fellows have changed in the last year – what was the motivation to update the fellowship structure?

Barnacle: I am very pleased that CIRSE has made this change. It is a very real honour to be a CIRSE Fellow and it should not be taken lightly. CIRSE is a vibrant community of IR expertise, education, research, and development, but it takes all of us to make this happen. We have always strongly encouraged CIRSE’s community to engage with the work of the organization and contribute to the many activities and outputs at its heart. But at the same time, much of this hard work, all delivered by members for free in our own time, goes unrecognised. This new structure means that new fellows are rewarded for their expert contributions to CIRSE.

CIRSE: What topics are close to your heart/ a priority for you?

Barnacle: Those who know me will be aware that I am really passionate about IR for children (PIR). It remains the biggest inequality across our speciality. I have been enormously encouraged by how engaged the society has been in recent years in growing PIR content at our congresses and online, and this is reflected in the curiosity and enthusiasm I see in younger IRs who are keen to learn more. But there is still a long way to go until children across Europe and beyond are routinely offered the same lifesaving, minimally invasive procedures we as adults are.

CIRSE: CIRSE is the world’s largest IR membership society with 50+ group member societies – how important is it for local societies to be CIRSE members in the support of global IR access/the support of certain areas of IR?

Barnacle: Our society is made rich by the number and diversity of our members who come from around the world. And CIRSE has such a strong voice because of our numbers. It is only together that we can meaningfully influence healthcare and develop best practice in this rapidly growing field. I know that CIRSE has the resources, expertise, and professionalism to devote to this and encourage all local IR societies to join our ranks and become part of this endeavour.