Lines from the new CIRSE President

October 16, 2024

By Philippe L. Pereira, CIRSE President

Dear friends and colleagues,

It is a great honour to write to you for the first time as the CIRSE President. The responsibility of leading such a prestigious organization, filled with the brightest minds in the field of interventional radiology and minimally invasive image-guided therapies, is one I embrace wholeheartedly. I am deeply grateful to my predecessor and friend, Christoph Binkert, for the remarkable work accomplished during his tenure as president, particularly in advancing clinical practice in interventional radiology. His leadership has contributed to the standards of care we provide and put a strong foundation under CIRSE’s plans and vision for the future of IR.

IR has been my focus since the very start of my career. I became an interventional radiologist at the same time I became a radiologist. There was no IR even at the large hospital where I started my radiology specialty – after several months of training with Prof. Alain Roche, I already had the chance to commit myself to almost full-time IR. The idea of becoming president of the largest scientific society for interventional radiology in the world is, for me, an honour and a privilege without comparison. Being President of CIRSE will enable me to act at a more political level in favour of IR and for the good of patients. Of course, there are still many challenges ahead for a discipline which is still sometimes perceived as competitive or as a service, but now is the time to take action.

From left: Vice-President Stefan Müller-Hülsbeck, President Philippe Pereira, Treasurer Laura Crocetti, and Past-President Christoph Binkert at the CIRSE 2024 General Assembly.

Prof. Pereira alongside the newly elected members of the CIRSE Executive Committee during CIRSE 2024. 

As I begin my term, I wish to focus our collective energy on a crucial area, the second pillar of CIRSE’s vision: therapies and treatments. We are witnessing a rapid evolution in medical technology and innovations that are reshaping the landscape of medicine. The development of more personalized, minimally invasive therapies with a multidisciplinary approach presents an extraordinary opportunity for us to improve patient outcomes while also reducing recovery times and costs. This is an exciting time for our field, and I believe we are uniquely positioned to lead the way in pushing these advancements even further and ensuring they are integrated into our practice.

To lead the field, interventional radiologists must be more and more involved in the clinical management of our patients and our diagnostic imaging skills should be centred around our own patients, allowing us to have a clear focus on the therapies that we can provide.

CIRSE must lead the way forward in the research, development, and promotion of cutting-edge IR treatments. We must foster an environment where innovations thrive, and where our members are empowered to collaborate across disciplines to create solutions that address the most pressing challenges in our field. Only by investing in education, training, and research,  will we ensure that our members have the tools and knowledge necessary to deliver the highest quality of care to our patients.

Moreover, during my presidency, we will prioritize bridging the gap between research and real-world clinical application. It is not enough to simply develop new treatments—we must also ensure that they are offered by IRs, recognised by other disciplines and benefit patients worldwide. To this end, we will work to improve access to IR by enhancing partnerships with physicians, researchers, and industry members, ensuring that the breakthroughs we achieve are translated into tangible improvements in patient care. I also envision closer collaboration with our global counterparts; the pathologies our patients face know no borders, and our efforts should reflect the global nature of the challenge. It’s also important to me that patients from disadvantaged regions should be able to receive and benefit from the advantages of basic IR treatments such as biopsies, drainages, or embolizations.

I am also committed to enhancing the professional development of our members. Whether you are a seasoned interventional radiologist or just beginning your journey in this field, CIRSE will continue to be a platform that supports your growth. In addition to our ongoing educational programmes, during my presidency, I will champion new initiatives that emphasize the quality of IR treatments and number of IRs, including fellowships and mentorships. Together, we will empower the next generation of leaders in our specialty.

I want to express my deep appreciation for the trust you have placed in me. Leading CIRSE is a privilege, and I promise to listen to your voices, prioritize your needs, and represent our society with the integrity it deserves. I look forward to working with each of you, as only together will we push the boundaries of what is possible in interventional radiology. The future is bright; we have built the first pillar of CIRSE’s strategy, and I am thrilled beyond words to work alongside all of you as we start to construct the second one!

– Philippe L. Pereira, CIRSE President

The new Executive Board

The new CIRSE Executive Board members, as well as all other newly elected committee members, formally assumed their titles during the General Assembly at CIRSE 2024.

Society elections are held biennially and give eligible CIRSE members the opportunity to put themselves forward for different positions on the Executive Board, the Executive Committee and the three standing committees.