Awards and Honors: July 21, 2009

Posted 11:01 AM, July 21, 2009, by jaruiz

Anne Marie Sawyer, BS, RT(R)(MR), manager of the MR Whole Body Research Systems at the Richard M. Lucas Center for Imaging, has been appointed as member of the Food and Drug Administration's Circulatory System Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee. The Circulatory System Devices Panel "reviews and evaluates data concerning the safety and effectiveness of marketed and investigational devices for use in the circulatory and vascular systems and makes appropriate recommendations to the Commissioner of Food and Drugs." Ms. Sawyer was appointed to this panel in recognition of her enduring contributions to the safe and efficient operation of MR systems.

She began her career in magnetic resonance imaging in September of 1985 as . . .

an MR applications specialist for GE Medical Systems providing education on-site for customers with new installations and system upgrades. In 1987 and 1990, respectively, she served as supervisor (MR) and then manager (MR, CT, X-ray, nuclear medicine, and mammography) for applications specialists in the western region of the United States. In 1991, Ms. Sawyer became a member of MR Advanced Applications and Customer Support at GE Medical Systems headquarters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where her primary responsibilities included assistance in the design and implementation of software, hardware, and imaging accessories; support for pre-product clinical evaluations; customer education; organization and direction of educational symposia; and development of educational material and tools.

In 1993, Ms. Sawyer began in the Stanford Department of Radiology as the manager of MR Whole Body Research Systems in the Radiological Sciences Laboratory at the Richard M. Lucas Center for Imaging. For over 16 years, she has provided technical, scientific, and educational consultation to researchers, as well as assistance in the design and direction of research studies conducted at the Lucas Center on the 1.5T, 3.0T#1, 3.0T#2 and 7.0T whole body MR systems. To support Lucas users and distribute MR-specific documentation, she maintains a website of her own design and conducts Stanford MR technologist symposia.

Ms. Sawyer has been a member of the Section for MR Technologists (SMRT) of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) since 1991 and has served as past president as well as chair and member of numerous committees. Because of her dedication to SMRT, she has been honored with elevation to Fellow of the Section and with the prestigious Honorary Membership of the SMRT in recognition of her major achievements in the field of magnetic resonance imaging. She is currently the editor of the SMRT accredited Home Study Program, Educational Seminars. Her published articles include over 50 peer-reviewed publications. In addition, she has delivered more than 50 invited lectures and co-authored three book chapters. Among Ms. Sawyer's numerous awards are the Crues-Kressel Award from the SMRT for her outstanding contributions to MR technologist education and a 3rd Place Poster Award at the 2006 Annual ISMRM Meeting. As manager of our Lucas magnet systems, she is nationally consulted regarding all aspects of MR safety and systems operation.