Hedvig Hricak
Encyclopedia
Hedvig Hricak has been Chairman of the Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center since November 1999. She holds a senior position within the Molecular Pharmacology and Chemistry Program at the Sloan-Kettering Institute and is Professor of Radiology at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University.
in 1970. In 1972 she came to the US and completed a residency in diagnostic radiology at St. Joseph’s Mercy Hospital, Michigan, followed by a fellowship at Henry Ford Hospital in Michigan. In 1982 she moved to the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), where she accelerated rapidly through the academic ranks. She was promoted to Professor of Radiology, Radiation Oncology, Urology and Gynecology in 1986 and later became the chief of the abdominal section of the Department of Radiology at UCSF Medical Center. While at UCSF, she earned her Dr. Med. Sc. (equivalent to Ph.D.) from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden.
Dr. Hricak’s initial contribution was to the development of ultrasound applications for renal medical disease and specifically to the diagnostic evaluation of renal transplants. She has been involved in MRI research since the emergence of the field in the 1980’s and helped develop clinical applications for gynecologicol cancers, kidney cancer, as well as MRI and MR spectroscopy. She continues to investigate imaging methods for cancer detection, staging, and management and is leading important efforts in translational applications of molecular imaging in cancer. Dr. Hricak has authored or co-authored more than 450 research articles, reviews and editorial articles, 18 books and more than 130 book chapters.
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 and the Cancer Clinical Trials and the NCI Cooperative Group Program. She has served on as a member of the NCI Board of Scientific Advisors, as committee chair for the National Academies, Committee on the State of Science of Nuclear Medicine, Advancing Nuclear Medicine Through Innovation and a member of the NIH Board of Scientific Counselors. She is also a correspondent member of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts
. 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 led efforts to expand training opportunities in oncologic molecular imaging for minority and underrepresented students. She has organized a minority recruitment committee for postdoctoral research in molecular imaging and has worked with collaborators at The City College of New York to develop a pilot program in molecular imaging for underrepresented undergraduate students. In addition, she also founded a program to introduce New York City public high school students to careers in radiology. The program is enthusiastically supported by the New York City Department of Education and is now in its seventh year.
Dr. Hricak has received several globally directed grants to provide education and training to physicians and healthcare personnel around the world. She has received support from the National Cancer Institute to promote international educational imaging efforts in South East Europe. Dr. Hricak is also the recipient of a grant from the Breast Cancer Research Foundation supporting a global initiative to improve research and clinical practice in breast cancer imaging.
Career
Dr. Hricak was born in Zagreb, R Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia and earned her MD degree from the School of Medicine, University of ZagrebSchool of Medicine, University of Zagreb
The School of Medicine in Zagreb is a Croatian medical school affiliated with the University of Zagreb. It is the oldest and biggest of the four medical schools in Croatia , having been established in 1917 and with 1,775 students enrolled as of 2008.-History:The School of Medicine in Zagreb was...
in 1970. In 1972 she came to the US and completed a residency in diagnostic radiology at St. Joseph’s Mercy Hospital, Michigan, followed by a fellowship at Henry Ford Hospital in Michigan. In 1982 she moved to the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), where she accelerated rapidly through the academic ranks. She was promoted to Professor of Radiology, Radiation Oncology, Urology and Gynecology in 1986 and later became the chief of the abdominal section of the Department of Radiology at UCSF Medical Center. While at UCSF, she earned her Dr. Med. Sc. (equivalent to Ph.D.) from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden.
Dr. Hricak’s initial contribution was to the development of ultrasound applications for renal medical disease and specifically to the diagnostic evaluation of renal transplants. She has been involved in MRI research since the emergence of the field in the 1980’s and helped develop clinical applications for gynecologicol cancers, kidney cancer, as well as MRI and MR spectroscopy. She continues to investigate imaging methods for cancer detection, staging, and management and is leading important efforts in translational applications of molecular imaging in cancer. Dr. Hricak has authored or co-authored more than 450 research articles, reviews and editorial articles, 18 books and more than 130 book chapters.
Awards and Membership
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 Béclère medal of the International Society of Radiology, and the Morocco Medal of Merit. She was named Honorary Member or fellow of several international radiological societies and Honorary Professor, University of Zagreb, Croatia. In 2005 she was awarded an honorary doctorate in medicine from Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, Germany, and in 2010, she received the humanitarian award – the Morning Star Katarina Zrinska from the President of Croatia.Dr. Hricak is a member of the Institute of Medicine
Institute of Medicine
The Institute of Medicine is a not-for-profit, non-governmental American organization founded in 1970, under the congressional charter of the National Academy of Sciences...
(IOM) of the National Academies of Science. She serves as a member of the Nuclear Radiation Study Board of the National Academies and the Cancer Clinical Trials and the NCI Cooperative Group Program. She has served on as a member of the NCI Board of Scientific Advisors, as committee chair for the National Academies, Committee on the State of Science of Nuclear Medicine, Advancing Nuclear Medicine Through Innovation and a member of the NIH Board of Scientific Counselors. She is also a correspondent member of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts
Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts
The Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts is the national academy of Croatia. It was founded in 1866 as the Yugoslav Academy of Sciences and Arts , and was known by that name for most of its existence.- History :...
. 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
Radiological Society of North America
The Radiological Society of North America, Inc. is a professional membership society committed to excellence in patient care through education and research...
(RSNA).
Research effort
She is the principal investigator of a National Institutes of Health training grant entitled, “Molecular Imaging: Training for Oncology.” This grant provides training for a new generation of basic and clinical researchers to perform basic, translational and clinical cancer research within the rapidly expanding field of molecular imaging.Dr. Hricak has led efforts to expand training opportunities in oncologic molecular imaging for minority and underrepresented students. She has organized a minority recruitment committee for postdoctoral research in molecular imaging and has worked with collaborators at The City College of New York to develop a pilot program in molecular imaging for underrepresented undergraduate students. In addition, she also founded a program to introduce New York City public high school students to careers in radiology. The program is enthusiastically supported by the New York City Department of Education and is now in its seventh year.
Dr. Hricak has received several globally directed grants to provide education and training to physicians and healthcare personnel around the world. She has received support from the National Cancer Institute to promote international educational imaging efforts in South East Europe. Dr. Hricak is also the recipient of a grant from the Breast Cancer Research Foundation supporting a global initiative to improve research and clinical practice in breast cancer imaging.
Private life
Dr. Hricak is married to Dr. Alexander Margulis, former Associate Chancellor and Chairman of Radiology at UCSF, who is Clinical Professor of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University and holds eight honorary doctorates and has received many national and international awards. She has a son, Peter Hricak, who resides in California.External links
- American Association for Women Radiologists: Reflections from Women Radiologists: Protraits for AAWR
- Radiological Society of North America – Press Release-November 2009
- Radiology Magazine Hedvig Hricak, MD, PhD, Dr(hc), President, Radiological Society of North America, 2010 (January 2010) by Elias Zerhouni
- Radiological Society of North America – RSNA News-February 2010
- European Society of Radiology - ESR - Biography Hedvig Hricak
- National Institute of Health - John Doppman Lecture Series
- Current Opinion in Urology - Editors
- The National Academies - Biographical Sketches Of Committee Members