Three Faculty Named Distinguished Investigators Award Recipients by the Academy of Radiology Research

Three faculty in the UCSF Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging were named as recipients of 2015 Distinguished Investigator Awards by the Academy of Radiology Research on August 13, 2015. The Award, given to Xiaojuan Li, PhD, Rebecca Smith-Bindman, MD, and Benjamin M. Yeh, MD, recognizes and honors recipients for their accomplishments in the field of medical imaging.

In the press release from the Academy of Radiology Research, Dr. Reed A. Omary, Co-Chair of the Academy’s Distinguished Investigator Council, noted “the recipients of this Award have made significant contributions to the field of imaging research and are in the top 10% of Radiology Department faculty nationwide.”

The honor is further recognition of the dedicated researchers in the Department of Radiology’s research division. “The selection of Drs. Li, Smith-Bindman and Yeh for their outstanding research highlights the significance, diversity and scope of the work being done by our research teams,” shares Sharmila Majumdar, PhD, Vice-Chair of Research in Radiology & Biomedical Imaging. “They join 13 others from our Department as ARR Distinguished Researchers, and highlight our focus is to move promising research from initial investigation to applications that will ultimately improve patient care."

Criteria for the Distinguished Investigators Award include:

• Primary professional appointment in an academic Department of Radiology.
• Recipient of a MD, DO, and/or PhD degree.
• Academic rank of at least Associate Professor or its equivalent.
• Significant research contributions.
• Sustained productivity, including at least 25 peer-reviewed scientific research publications in which they are first author or senior author.
• Demonstrated accomplishment as an independent investigator with a substantial ongoing research program, including at least 6 cumulative years of funding as the Principal Investigator of a major competitive extramural research grant.

Recipients of the Distinguished Investigators Award will be inducted as members of the Distinguished Investigator Council during a ceremony that will be held at the Radiological Society of North America’s annual meeting in November 2015. A full list of 2015 awardees can be accessed here.

The Academy of Radiology Research is an alliance of academic Radiology Departments, professional imaging societies, patient advocacy groups, and industry partners. The Mission of the Academy of Radiology Research is to raise the profile of imaging research through education and advocacy. The Academy works to increase resources and opportunities for imaging research, and promote the translation of that research to increase human health.