The launch of ECR 2023 edges ever closer, so we asked Prof. Adrian Brady to tell us what to expect at this year's meeting. In our third interview, he also speaks about his work as president of the European Society of Radiology.
Q: Have you made a lot of overseas trips since you became ESR president in July 2022?
A: Certainly, there's a lot of travel involved. As a society, we have strong links with our many institutional member societies within Europe and the rest of the world, and part of my role involves maintaining and developing these ties, as well as working to advance common projects and educational initiatives.
Building relationships in Latin America has been important to Brady and the ESR. He is shown here with (from left to right) Dr. César Nomura and Dr. Valdair Muglia from São Paulo in Brazil, and Dr. Mauricio Figueroa Sánchez from Guadalajara in Mexico, during the SERAM congress held in Malaga in May 2022. All images courtesy of Prof. Adrian Brady.As far as possible, I try to fly in and out of Cork, but as the direct connections from Cork are limited, that frequently necessitates connecting flights. I've become intimately familiar with the flight connection pathways in Heathrow and Schiphol. I sometimes use Dublin, but that involves a 3.5-hour bus journey at either end, so it's often easier to connect and fly home to Cork.
I've been fortunate in that I haven't really had any major challenges in travel so far, although a few connections turned out to be alarmingly tight. I've boarded a few flights in extreme dyspnoea after a frantic run through an airport terminal!
Q: Can we expect any updates or new statements from the ESR on Ukraine? At ECR 2023, what level of participation from Ukraine and Russia do you expect?
A: The ESR made its position with respect to the war in Ukraine very clear early in 2022, and we have seen no reason to revise that.
We have put in place every facility we can to maintain training support and to provide access to educational material for our colleagues in Ukraine, and this will continue, including access to ECR 2023.
Q: Compared with ECR 2022, what will you do differently at ECR 2023?
A: ECR as a spectacle is constantly reinventing itself, and this year will be no different. We garner extensive feedback every year from our attendees and adapt the format to make the next congress even better in every way possible.
Links with Africa have also become more significant to the ESR. In this photo from September 2018, Brady is with Prof. Omolola Mojisola Atalabi and Dr. Olubukola Omidiji from Nigeria.ECR 2022, in July, was a delightful novelty for many of us as the first summer ECR in a very long time. To be able to enjoy warmth, sunshine, outside dining, and light clothes was lovely. ECR 2023 is back in our traditional March time slot, so some of those experiences aren't likely to recur. Nonetheless, we recognize that reverting to March makes participation much easier for many of our members, avoiding clashing with the traditional summer holiday period.
I won't spoil the surprises by giving away too many details, but I can assure attendees that this year's ECR will look and feel innovative, easy to navigate and comprehensive in its educational offerings. Spectacular themes are being planned for popular congress elements, including the opening ceremony and the Image Interpretation Quiz, and the breadth of educational material should ensure there's something of interest to everyone.
The "Cycle of Life" theme allows us to showcase some applications of radiology that fall outside most radiologists' usual working lives, but which should be exciting and interesting. Check out the Radiology of the Afterlife E3 advanced course, and the session on Imaging the Olympics for some new and different topics.
Additionally, the Trainees in Focus program running throughout the congress will highlight professional and lifestyle issues facing trainees now and throughout their future careers, and will, I hope, prove interesting and valuable to our younger colleagues.
Q: Will ECR 2023 have a distinctly Irish feel?
Indeed it will! I have the great pleasure of being the first Irish radiologist to be ESR and ECR President since the present society structures were adopted, and I'm very happy to use this opportunity to highlight the excellent quality of professional and academic radiology in Ireland.
There will be a significant number of radiologists from my home country involved in the educational sessions. One of our plenary lecturers, Prof. Risteárd Ó Laoide, will speak about what it's like as a diagnostic radiologist to take charge of an entire country's National Cancer Control Programme.
Furthermore, we plan to highlight some elements of Irish culture during the opening ceremony and social events of the congress. We hope participants will find this interesting and enjoyable.
On a 2019 trip to Tbilisi in Georgia, Brady is kept dry by Prof. András Palkó from Szeged, Hungary, ESR President in 2011-2012.Q: How have you divided your time between clinical duties and your ESR/ECR work?
There's been a substantial amount of juggling involved, naturally. Being ESR President can expand to involve a virtually full-time commitment, especially at particularly busy times.
Having the support of a group of colleagues within the ESR office is key to time management. I rely heavily on the guidance, hard work, and dedication of the ESR office staff.
Equally, I'm very grateful for the forbearance and support of my friends and colleagues in the Mercy University Hospital, for accommodating my European activities and absences.
Editor's note: You can download a copy of the full program for ECR 2023 on the organizers' website.
