Amaka Offiah elected RCR vice president for clinical radiology

Prof. Amaka OffiahPhoto courtesy of the RCRProf. Amaka Offiah, PhD, from the University of Sheffield has been elected an incoming vice president of the U.K. Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) and will head its Clinical Radiology Faculty in September. She will succeed Dr. Stephen Harden, who is to become the new president.

Offiah is a professor of pediatric musculoskeletal imaging at the University of Sheffield and an honorary consultant pediatric radiologist at Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust. In addition, she chairs the Skeletal Dysplasia Group for Teaching and Research and the European Society of Paediatric Radiology's Child Abuse Taskforce. 

At ECR 2024, Offiah spoke with AuntMinnieEurope in a video interview about imaging of suspected child abuse, as well as promoting diversity in radiology and avoiding burnout. At Sheffield, she is also chair of both the Race Equality Delivery Group and the Faculty of Health Director for Wellbeing and EDI.

She has focused much of her effort on discovering better ways to diagnose child abuse by improving fracture detection in children and confirming whether their bones are medically susceptible to fractures or they are healthy and the fractures are more likely to have been caused by inflicted trauma.

“I am extremely grateful for the trust shown in electing me to the responsible role of Vice-President, Clinical Radiology, and at such a challenging time," Offiah said in a statement. "It is a challenge I intend to face head-on, but not alone.

Offiah began her medical training at Ahmadu Bello University in Nigeria and the University of Ibadan before training as a radiologist in Sheffield and moving to Great Ormond Street Hospital/Institute of Child Health of University College London. There, she obtained her doctorate and developed her academic interest in inflicted injury.

Noted as the first pediatric radiologist and first female RCR Roentgen Professor, Offiah is also first female managing editor of the journal Pediatric Radiology. 

“I look forward to working with Dr. Stephen Harden, Dr. Nicky Thorp, other RCR Officers and staff and of course with RCR Fellows and members, so that together we can build on a shared vision to advance our specialties in the UK and internationally for the benefit of our patients," Offiah said. "I will endeavour to serve with empathy, courage and transparency."

Offiah will begin her three-year term as vice president officially on 1 September 2025.