Staff

Awards and Honors: April 30, 2008

Rebecca Fahrig, PhD, assistant professor of radiology, has been selected as one of sixteen School of Medicine Faculty Fellows for 2008. Over the next year, the Fellows will meet monthly for leadership meetings with invited faculty who will serve as role models. In addition, they will attend small mentoring groups led by senior faculty mentors and will devise a career development plan. The Faculty Fellows were nominated by their departmental chairs and were ranked by the Faculty Fellow Review Committee based on their "leadership potential and demonstrated commitment to building diversity."

Before joining our Department as an assistant professor, Dr. Fahrig completed her PhD in medical biophysics at the University of Western Ontario and a postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University. She has won numerous awards including the Greenfield Award for the Best Paper (nonradiation dosimetry) published in Medical Physics in 2005; the Fellowship Research Trainee Prize (along with Zhu, PhD, candidate) from the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) Physics Subcommittee; and the Faculty Scholar in Translational Research Award from the Baxter Foundation. Dr. Fahrig's research focuses on imaging for guidance of minimally invasive procedures. She works on software and hardware that permit the use of a C-arm system for both fluoroscopy and CT imaging, and she has extended the applications of C-arm CT to retrospectively gated 3D/4D cardiac imaging in the interventional suite. She is also developing an MR-compatible X-ray fluoroscopy system, including a new rotating-anode X-ray tube for use in the fringe fields of 1.5T and 3.0T magnets.

Meet the Ultrasound Section at Stanford Hospital and Clinics

(front row, l to r): Lan Zhang, Xin Yuan, Diane Orluck, and Alex Karanany; (back row, l to r): Amber Gee and Marianne Johnson.

By Julie Ruiz, PhD
(Image courtesy of Mark Riesenberger)

There are many things that most people don't know about the ultrasound section at Stanford Hospital and Clinics (SHC). For instance, did you know that at least three of our ultrasound technologists have medical degrees from other countries? Did you know that two members of our ultrasound section have worked at SHC for over 18 years? Do you know which of our ultrasound technologists have won the Wingspread Award?

These are just a few of the things that are special about SHC's ultrasound section, which has grown tremendously. Eighteen years ago, there were three technologists; today, there are eight technologists, including those who work evening and weekend shifts. Depending on the time of year, there are also one to four travelers working in our section as well. Travelers are contracted agency staff who come from all over the United States; they work in one place for thirteen weeks up to one year. Each of our technologists is registered with the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS).

In addition to the increasing number of staff, the technology has advanced in our section as well. Eighteen years ago, there were only three ultrasound machines. We now have one Siemens Syngo Dynamics System, for image interpretation and archiving, and six ultrasound machines--all Siemens Sequoias--along with a portable ultrasound ATL machine.

Our section is very busy and handles about 20 to 25 outpatients per day and 23 to 30 inpatients per day; the ultrasound technologists at Blake Wilbur scan about 8 to 10 patients per day. Many of our inpatients are fit into the schedule the same day they request a scan, so our technologists have to be very flexible. The ultrasound staff is thriving under the leadership of their Section Chief Brooke Jeffrey, MD, who has designed special bimonthly learning conferences that he holds on his own time, which allow the technologists to review the most interesting ultrasound cases with other physicians, residents, and body fellows.

Please meet our ultrasound section technologists:

Sarah Brandon, ARDMS, RVT, sonographer, is a graduate from the Foothill College Sonography Program. Ms. Brandon works part time in the Department; she has been here for almost two years and enjoys the challenging work. She decided last year to take her vascular board exams, and she now has that additional license.

Shirley Furuichi, ARDMS, RVT, senior sonographer, has worked in ultrasound at SHC for 18 years. She initially attended Foothill College and earned her degree in radiologic technology after becoming interested in radiology during a career day at her high school. After being hired at Stanford, she worked in X-ray for seven years and was asked to learn sonography. Consequently, Ms. Furuichi attended Foothill College and earned a degree and became registered in diagnostic medical sonography while continuing to work at SHC. The greatest changes Ms. Furuichi has seen over the years have been the innovations in ultrasound equipment: "We are always learning, which is the great part about being at a teaching institute. Dr. Jeffrey has been very active in trying out new software and equipment from Siemens' beta test site in Mountain View. Some of the software we get to test is confidential because it has not yet been released. It keeps our work on the cutting-edge." She has found it challenging to have the latest equipment housed in an older facility, which has not been remodeled in over 20 years: "While the ultrasound section has grown by adding new computers, machines, technologists, patients, etc., the space for the section has not."

However, Ms. Furuichi added, "I have really enjoyed working here. Dr. Jeffrey has been fabulous to work with, and he is the main reason why I have stayed here. Twice a month, he holds learning conferences on his own time for all of us to attend along with the other physicians, residents, and body fellows. We go over the most interesting cases, which gives us a chance to see what our colleagues are doing. The conferences are great teaching tools and provide a wonderful opportunity for us to learn and to improve." Another facet of her work that Ms. Furuichi enjoys is patient care and helping with diagnoses.

Amber Gee, ARDMS, traveler sonographer, was completing her associate of arts degree (AA) in X-ray when she did a rotation in sonography. Ms. Gee found ultrasound quite interesting, and she was relieved that it did not require the heavy lifting of X-ray cassettes. After talking with a friend who was also interested in ultrasound, she enrolled in Weeber State University in Utah and acquired a bachelor's degree in diagnostic medical sonography. Her first job in ultrasound was at a small hospital in Hamilton, Montana. Because she wanted to gain more experience in larger hospital settings, Ms. Gee became a traveler, and she has worked all over the United States for the past three years. This is her second time working at Stanford; she has been back since September 2007. Of all the places she has worked, Ms. Gee enjoys working at Stanford Hospital and Clinics the most: "I feel that when I work at other hospitals, I'm losing skills; when I work at Stanford Hospital and Clinics, I know I'm gaining skills. I really like working with the staff, patients, and physicians at Stanford. I feel like we are all part of a team. The physicians listen to my input, and they teach me new things so I'm always learning." The most challenging part of her day is dealing with difficult patients, but she views these instances as opportunities to gain new skills: "We do really thorough exams here, and the pathology we see is amazing."

Marianne Johnson, ARDMS, RVT, weekend senior sonographer, is well versed in X-ray and ultrasound. Prior to coming to SHC, she worked as the lead sonographer and radiology supervisor at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital (LPCH l). Because of her versatility and positive work attitude, she recently won the SHC Wingspread Award for her outstanding work in ultrasound. Ms. Johnson was chosen as a "super user" for the EPIC Project. Along with Rebecca Wong, she is one of the "go to people" for questions about EPIC.

Alex Karanany, ARDMS, RVT, senior sonographer, has a medical degree from Egypt, where he was a medical doctor of general surgery. After immigrating to the U.S., he worked as the medical director for several physical therapy offices, and he considered becoming a physical therapist but decided against it. Mr. Karanany found sonography more interesting, so he attended the two-year accredited ultrasound program at Orange Coast College in Los Angeles and graduated in May of 2005. Six months after graduation, he passed the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) exams and was registered in abdomen, obstetric-gynecological, and vascular ultrasound. After working at more than 20 different hospitals and as a traveler, Mr. Karanany was hired in the ultrasound section of Stanford Hospital and Clinics in December of 2007. "Stanford Hospital and Clinics," Mr. Karanany commented, "is by far the best hospital at which I've worked. People here are very professional and knowledgeable, and I'm learning so much in the ultrasound section."

Amanda Nelson, RVT, ARDMS, senior sonographer, was a case worker for Child Protective Services in Texas before coming to Stanford. Although she considered getting her master's degree in social work, she did not find the work intellectually challenging enough. Because she loved animals, she began to take classes for veterinary school and worked in clinics. Mrs. Nelson found the medical parts of her classes and clinics exciting. After listening to her friends describe their experiences working in sonography, she decided to observe a sonographer at Parkland Memorial Hospital. Sonography was not only intellectually challenging but very interesting to Mrs. Nelson. So, she attended El Centro College in Dallas, Texas; passed the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) exams; and was registered in diagnostic medical sonography. She worked at Baylor Medical Center for two years. After working as a traveler, Mrs. Nelson came to Stanford in April of 2007 and became a permanent SHC employee in March of 2008.

The most satisfying part of her work is caring for her patients: "I enjoy working on cases where you can really make a difference in a patient's care, like when you find a DVT or cancer that you catch early. It feels good to be involved in helping to save someone's life. I also like explaining procedures to patients so that they understand what's happening to them and why, and they become more willing to cooperate." The most challenging part of her work is doing portable exams because there is not a lot of room for the large ultrasound machines.

Diane Orluck, ARDMS, RVT, sonography supervisor, will celebrate 18 years at SHC in July of 2008. She originally began in X-ray, worked for a while in CT and cath angio, and then pursued sonography. After acquiring a lot of experience in scanning, Ms. Orluck was recruited to the SHC sonography section; she was later awarded the SHC Wingspread Award for her outstanding work in ultrasound. She has found that the most substantial change in ultrasound has been the advances in technology: "You can see so much more now on each imaging exam, and you can see it so much more clearly." One thing that has remained the same for Ms. Orluck is the direct contact with patients that ultrasound provides: "Most people pursue ultrasound because they like the direct contact with patients. As sonographers, we are not just pushing buttons; we have to know the pathology and anatomy of the body. While the procedures used during each exam are the same, each patient is always different, so each exam is unique." In addition to the patients, Ms. Orluck explained, the hard work of their section chief, Dr. Jeffrey, makes the atmosphere in the ultrasound section special: "Dr. Jeffrey is the driving force behind ultrasound. His attitude is infectious, and he has created a very positive learning atmosphere that has inspired our section so that we are very enthusiastic about coming to work and about working towards the correct diagnosis."

Rebecca Wong, ARDMS, senior sonographer, has been at SHC for about six years. She works with many of the residents on the evening shift. Recently, she was chosen as a "super user" for the EPIC Project. Along with Marianne Johnson, she is one of the "go to people" for questions about EPIC. Ms. Wong already had her bachelor of arts degree when she decided to go into ultrasound. She completed the Foothill College Sonography Program, and she was hired at SHC to work full-time during the weekdays. When she started her family, Ms. Wong began working the evening shift to better accommodate her busy schedule.

Xin Yuan, ARDMS, sonographer, has a medical degree in general medicine from China. When she came to the United States, she first completed a respiratory program and earned an associate's degree. Subsequently, Ms. Yuan applied to Foothill College and earned a degree in diagnostic medical sonography. Her last rotation for her internship was at Stanford Hospital and Clinics, where she was hired after completing her rotation and becoming registered with the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS). "Utrasound is an art," Ms. Yuan commented. "I love the images and the anatomy and pathology of the field. I also love helping patients and working with Stanford physicians. Every day is challenging and, everyday, I learn something new and discuss new cases. Getting the correct diagnosis is also a challenge, and it's something I look forward to each day."

Lan Zhang, ARDMS, sonographer, has a medical degree in pediatrics from China. After obtaining her degree in diagnostic medical sonography from Foothill College, she rotated through SHC, and she was hired after completing her internship and becoming registered with the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS). She has been in the ultrasound section for over a year.

New Faculty Hires and Promotions: April 24, 2008

Debra Ikeda, MD, director of the Stanford University breast imaging section, has been promoted to full professor of radiology. For 16 years, Dr. Ikeda has served as the director of the breast imaging section. Prior to coming to Stanford, she received her medical degree from the University of Connecticut, Farmington, and completed her internship and residency in radiology at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. After completing fellowships at the University of San Francisco Medical Center and Malmo General Hospital in Sweden, Dr. Ikeda came to Stanford to build our breast imaging section into a state-of-the-art center. She has developed and led two of the leading CME courses in the world of breast imaging, each attended by over 300 participants. She has also been very active in teaching our residents and fellows and was awarded "Teacher of the Year" for her efforts. Her achievements include chairing the American College of Radiology (ACR) BIRADS Lexicon Committee, which resulted in the publication of the ACR MRI BIRADS text that is used to report breast MRI throughout the world. Dr. Ikeda's research focuses on the roles and limitations of breast cancer detection and imaging using X-ray methods, ultrasonography, and MRI. New research involves imaging of Asian women, evaluation of breast density, imaging of accelerated partial breast irradiation, optical imaging, and digital mammography with CAD.

(Image courtesy of Mark Riesenberger)

Awards and Honors: April 18, 2008

Sandip Biswal, MD, assistant professor of radiology; Sheen-Woo Lee, MD, MSc, postdoctoral scholar; Shin Kamaya, BSE; Deepak Behera, DNB, postdoctoral fellow; Edward Graves, PhD, assistant professor of radiation oncology (radiation physics); and Garry Gold, MD, associate professor of radiology and, by courtesy, of bioengineering and orthopaedic surgery, were awarded the Moncada Award at the 31st Annual Meeting of the Society of Computed Body Tomography and Magnetic Resonance (SCBT/MR) for their outstanding research project "Imaging Pain and Nociception with Manganese-Enhanced MRI (MEMRI)." The Moncada Award was named in honor of Rogelio Moncada, MD, who helped establish the SCBT/MR research awards program. Please find photos and brief biographies of some of our award winners below.

Deepak Behera, diplomate of National Board (DNB), specialized in nuclear medicine from Medwin Hospitals in Hyderabad, India, after receiving his medical degree (MBBS) from MKCG Medical College in Orissa, India. Before coming to Stanford, he served as senior resident in the nuclear medicine clinics at PGIMER in Chandigarh, India. Dr. Behera is currently a postdoctoral fellow in the Molecular Imaging of Musculoskeletal Illnesses (MIMI) Laboratory where he is investigating a clinically applicable nociception imaging agent that has applications in both cancerous and noncancerous conditions. Outside the lab, he enjoys traveling, outdoor sports, dancing, and singing.

Sandip Biswal, MD, assistant professor of radiology, received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School-Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Division of Health Science and Technology (HST). As a faculty member at Stanford, he was won the Junior Faculty of the Year Resident Teaching Award twice and the RSNA Research Trainee Prize three times: once each in Informatics and Nuclear Medicine with Bao Do, MD, and once in Nuclear Medicine with Brian Kim, MD. Dr. Biswal is the leader of the Molecular Imaging of Musculoskeletal Illnesses (MIMI) Laboratory, where he researches the use of multimodality molecular imaging techniques to study nociception as it relates to bones, joints, the peripheral nervous system, and the spinal cord.

Garry E. Gold, MD, associate professor of radiology and (by courtesy) bioengineering and orthopedics at Stanford University, received a master's degree in electrical engineering from Stanford in 1988 and his MD from Stanford in 1992. Dr. Gold has authored over 60 journal articles, 170 abstracts, and 5 patents in MRI. He has been the principal investigator or a co-investigator on over 30 funded research projects, and he is the principal investigator on two NIH-funded projects to improve MR imaging of osteoarthritis and the use of real-time MRI for the study of biomechanics. The International Skeletal Society recently awarded Dr. Gold the President's Medal. He is also a five-time winner of the Lauterbur Award for the best MRI paper from the Society for Computed Body Tomography and Magnetic Resonance (SCBT/MR). Dr. Gold reviews manuscripts for ten peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (JMRI) and the journal of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (MRM), and he is on the editorial board of several publications. At Stanford, Dr. Gold practices clinical musculoskeletal radiology, teaching medical students, residents, and fellows. He teaches two courses in imaging physics and human anatomy for medical students and graduate students, and he was recently awarded the Kaiser Award for outstanding and innovative contributions to education. He also serves as an advisor and co-advisor for many engineering graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.

Edward "Ted" Graves, PhD, assistant professor of radiation oncology (radiation physics), received his PhD in bioengineering in 2001 from the University of California, Berkeley, and San Francisco. After completing a postdoctoral fellowship in molecular imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital in Charlestown, Massachusetts, he came to Stanford in 2003 as an acting assistant professor of radiation oncology and joined the Department as an assistant professor in 2004. Dr. Graves has received numerous awards, including NIH-postdoctoral training grants and first prize in the student poster competition of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) Cancer Workshop. At Stanford, his research interests focus on developing applications of emerging functional and molecular imaging techniques in the radiation therapy of cancer. Dr. Graves' current research projects include the development and application of techniques for imaging radiobiology, focusing on tumor hypoxia; the engineering of methods for applying clinically-relevant conformal irradiation to small animal models of disease; and the creation of software for multimodality image analysis and quantitation. In his time away from Stanford, Dr. Graves enjoys playing video games and with his dog, Tara, as well as supporting the Chelsea Football Club.

Shin Kamaya, BSE, grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah, and received his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. He is currently a third-year medical student at the University of Colorado-Denver.

Awards and Honors: April 17, 2008

Brian Hargreaves, PhD, assistant professor of radiology; Neal Bangerter, PhD, research associate; Ernesto Staroswiecki, PhD; Paul Gurney, PhD; Thomas Grafendorfer, scientific staff; Anderson Nnewihe, MS; Bruce Daniel, MD, associate professor of radiology; and Garry Gold, MD, associate professor of radiology and, by courtesy, of bioengineering and orthopaedic surgery, were awarded the Lauterbur Award by the Society of Computed Body Tomography and Magnetic Resonance (SCBT/MR) for their outstanding research project "Co-Registered Sodium and Proton MRI of Osteoarthritis and Breast Cancer." The Lauterbur Award in MR was named in honor of Paul Lauterbur, PhD, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2003 for his work in MRI. Please find photos and brief biographies of some of our award winners below.

Neal Bangerter, PhD, received his doctoral degree from the Department of Electrical Engineering at Stanford University. He has held positions in both industry and academia. His academic work has focused on the development of new, fast imaging techniques for MRI and the development of sodium imaging methods for musculoskeletal and other applications. Dr. Bangerter is currently working in industry, developing product strategy for a Silicon Valley start-up.

Garry E. Gold, MD, associate professor of radiology and (by courtesy) bioengineering and orthopedics at Stanford University, received a master's degree in electrical engineering from Stanford in 1988 and his MD from Stanford in 1992. Dr. Gold has authored over 60 journal articles, 170 abstracts, and 5 patents in MRI. He has been the principal investigator or a co-investigator on over 30 funded research projects, and he is the principal investigator on two NIH-funded projects to improve MR imaging of osteoarthritis and the use of real-time MRI for the study of biomechanics. The International Skeletal Society recently awarded Dr. Gold the President's Medal. He is also a five-time winner of the Lauterbur Award for the best MRI paper from the Society for Computed Body Tomography and Magnetic Resonance (SCBT/MR). Dr. Gold reviews manuscripts for ten peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (JMRI) and the journal of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (MRM), and he is on the editorial board of several publications. At Stanford, Dr. Gold practices clinical musculoskeletal radiology, teaching medical students, residents, and fellows. He teaches two courses in imaging physics and human anatomy for medical students and graduate students, and he was recently awarded the Kaiser Award for outstanding and innovative contributions to education. He also serves as an advisor and co-advisor for many engineering graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.

Paul Gurney, PhD, received his doctoral degree in electrical engineering from Stanford in June of 2007. His research includes work in rapid 3-dimensional MRI and coronary angiography.

Brian Hargreaves, PhD, assistant professor of radiology, completed his doctoral degree in electrical engineering at Stanford University. In 2001, he joined the Stanford Radiology Department faculty. Dr. Hargreaves' research focuses on body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) applications (including abdominal, vascular, breast, and musculoskeletal imaging) and the development of novel excitation schemes, efficient imaging methods, and reconstruction tools that provide improved diagnostic contrast compared with current methods. Aside from work, he plays ice hockey and soccer, and he is on the volunteer ski patrol at Sugar Bowl ski resort.


Anderson Nnewihe, MS, is working on hardware design for the multinuclear imaging of the breast and the knee. In 2005, he graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with a BS degree in electrical engineering; in 2007, he received an MS degree in bioengineering at Stanford, where he is currently a PhD candidate in the Department of Bioengineering. His goals are to translate his research on multinuclear imaging to the clinical setting to expedite scans, improve image resolution, and facilitate diagnosis. He also has a marked interest in health care for his home country, Nigeria.

Awards and Honors: April 9, 2008

Sandra Rodriguez, RT (R)(MR), MR research technologist, was awarded the Howard S. Stern Scholarship from the American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT) Education and Research Foundation. Out of 450 applicants, Ms. Rodriguez was 1 of 8 who were chosen for the award. The Howard S. Stern Scholarship is designed to help radiologic technologists obtain an associate, bachelor's, or graduate degree or to complete additional certification in medical imaging, radiation therapy, or medical dosimetry. Ms. Rodriguez is currently enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Health Administration (BSHA) online program through the University of Phoenix. She anticipates receiving her degree in the 2008/2009 academic year and continuing her education by attaining a master's degree in Health Administration.

Lifetime Achievement Award: Dr. Lewis Wexler

By Julie Ruiz, PhD

For most of his life, Dr. Wexler has been ahead of his time. He was the first to receive the Gold Medal Award from the North American Society of Cardiac Imaging in 2002; he was one of the first to perform coronary angiography in California and to train radiologists and cardiologists in this procedure. He was one of a few to graduate from high school by the age of fifteen; to begin medical school at the State University of New York, Syracuse, by the age of eighteen; and to meet his life-long love by third grade.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Dr. Wexler attended Queens College of New York for two years before transferring to the University of Chicago. As a third-year undergraduate, he went to see his pre-medical admissions counselor, who encouraged him to apply for medical school that day because it was the last day to register for the MCATs. At the age of seventeen and a half he was accepted at Syracuse.

Although Dr. Wexler had planned to stay in California for only one year to complete his internship in 1960 at Mount Zion Hospital and Medical Center in San Francisco, he and his wife fell in love with California and have been here ever since. Dr. Wexler was drawn to Radiology because it involved solving puzzles: "I enjoyed my patients, but I had trouble letting go. I'd come home and worry about my patients--particularly, who was taking care of them in my absence. Radiology attracted me because you can solve a diagnostic dilemma but someone else has responsibility to care for the patient."

However, Dr. Wexler has enjoyed the direct contact he has had with his patients as an interventional radiologist for thirty-two years at Stanford and as a physician at Menlo Medical Clinic, where he currently works part-time. "I see as many of my patients as I can at Menlo Medical," he told me. "In the future, direct patient contact in Radiology will increase because I think that preventative medicine will be an emerging subspecialty with whole body scans at low dosage, which will require radiologists to consult with their patients about their results. Direct contact with patients should begin in residency; every radiology resident should have as much patient contact as possible."

Dr. Wexler was in the first purely diagnostic radiology residency program in the U.S. In 1961, when Dr. Wexler was a resident at Stanford, there was no ultrasound, mammography, CT, or MR, and angiography was just beginning. Stanford Radiology had just moved to Palo Alto from San Francisco in 1959. There were only three residents per class, and five faculty members in the Division of Diagnostic Radiology: Drs. Henry Jones, Herb Abrams, Robert Evans, Leslie Zatz, and Steven Ross.

As a resident, he was mentored by Herb Abrams, MD, who inspired him to pursue cardiovascular imaging as a resident. Studying under Dr. Eric Boijsen, Dr. Abrams taught catheter angiography during a time when the field was just beginning. He was one of the first radiologists to develop a percutaneous transfemoral pre-shaped catheter approach to coronary arteriography. "In those days, we had to mold, shape, and sterilize each catheter before we used them," Dr. Wexler remarked. As the beneficiary of this cutting-edge knowledge, he spent one and one-half years training in angiography during his three-year residency program, including a U.S. Public Health Services sponsored fellowship in cardiovascular radiology completed in 1964.

After his fellowship, Dr. Wexler served as a radiologist in the U.S. Air Force in Ankara, Turkey, for two years. Upon completing his service, Dr. Wexler was awarded a James Picker Foundation Advanced Fellowship in cardiovascular physiology at the Royal Postgraduate Medical School in London, England, during the academic year 1966-67.

In 1967, he returned to Stanford Radiology as an assistant professor, where he served as chief of the nascent cardiovascular radiology section for 24 years and for 15 years as the co-director of the catheterization and angiographic laboratories at Stanford University Hospital. As a professor of radiology, his research centered on cardiac and vascular imaging, the imaging of aortic dissections, and the effects of contrast media on cardiovascular and renal function. He trained numerous radiologists and cardiologists in coronary angiography before most others were doing it. However, due to turf wars, cardiologists are the only ones trained in this procedure today.

Dr. Wexler has published over 200 manuscripts, book chapters, and abstracts on vascular imaging and interventions. He won numerous awards and was elected as chair or president of multiple professional radiology and cardiology organizations focused on cardiovascular imaging and interventional radiology. However, Dr. Wexler's greatest achievement lies in teaching cardiac catheterization to cardiologists and radiologists: "I taught radiology fellows under an NIH-sponsored training grant for 20 years." By the time he retired in 1999 as professor emeritus of radiology, Dr. Wexler had taught close to 200 radiology and cardiology residents and fellows from all over the world. Many of his students have become leaders in the fields of cardiology and interventional radiology.

During his sabbatical year in 1982-83, Dr. Wexler was a Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellow, working in the U.S. Congressional offices of Representative James R. Jones of Oklahoma and then Senator Dan Quayle. In Washington, he met a wide array of the politicians, staff, and lobbyists involved in healthcare issues. This experience inspired him to successfully apply for several grants in health services research.

Among his most enduring contributions has been his service to the University and the community. At Stanford, he served on both the Medical School and University Faculty Senates and chaired the Committee on Land and Buildings. He was chief of staff of Stanford University Hospital and directed the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) survey of the medical school in 1996. Dr. Wexler currently serves as a member of the Stanford Medical School Admissions Committee and the University's Judicial Panel.

In addition to his committee work, Dr. Wexler, along with his wife, enjoys the cultural aspects the Bay Area offers, including ballet and opera. They are both dedicated to life-long learning: "Recently, my wife and I received an award from the Stanford Continuing Studies Program for the couple who has taken the most continuing studies courses." This March, they traveled to Italy to see the sites from one of their continuing studies courses on Christianity and Judaism in ancient Rome.

Announcements: April 4, 2008

Lunchtime Barbecue to Celebrate Stanford School of Medicine's 100th Anniversary on April 23, 2008: A birthday BBQ lunch will be held on the Dean's Lawn (Campus Drive and Roth Way) from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM on Wednesday, April 23, 2008. The Stanford School of Medicine (SOM) is celebrating a 100-year birthday, and all faculty, staff, and students are invited! For details, please read the following birthday party invitation from the April 2, 2008 Medical Center Report published by the SOM Office of Communication and Public Affairs:

A Birthday Party Invitation

All faculty, students, and staff are invited to celebrate the School of Medicine's 100th anniversary at a lunchtime barbecue on April 23.

Everyone coming will have a chance to make a contribution to history: attendees are invited to bring a contemporary item that reflects the "spirit of the present" for a time capsule that will be opened in 100 years.

Philip Pizzo, MD, dean of the medical school, will offer some remarks at the lunch, which will also feature music from a ragtime band.

Items for the time capsule don't have to be related to the medical school but simply represent the spirit of our times. Some suggestions include: a Stanford ID badge, a personal statement of "Life at Stanford in 2008," predictions for 2108, photographs or CDs, electronics (such as memory sticks), course catalogues or periodicals. Items may not be perishable or contain liquid and must be no bigger than a cubic foot.

Centennial organizers will also have guest books available to students, staff, and faculty to sign with written memories or predictions for 2108. People are also invited to submit their predictions and memories to the Centennial Web site at http://med.stanford.edu/centennial/guestbook.html.

The lunch will be held on the Dean's Lawn (Campus Drive and Roth Way) from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Shuttle service will be available for transportation from off-site locations. For more details on the lunch and other Centennial events, see the Centennial Web site at http://med.stanford.edu/centennial/events.html.

Awards and Honors: April 3, 2008

William T. Kuo, MD, assistant professor of vascular and interventional radiology, has been elected to Fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians (FCCP). Dr. Kuo will be inducted into Fellowship at the convocation ceremony of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) during their annual CHEST meeting in October 2008. To be elected to Fellowship in the ACCP, a physician must be board certified in his or her respective subspecialty and devote a significant amount of clinical and research time to treating and studying cardiopulmonary disease. Dr. Kuo's election to Fellow is a significant achievement in his professional career that also recognizes his expertise in the endovascular treatment of acute pulmonary embolism, as a specialist in vascular and interventional radiology. Following his election to Fellow of the ACCP, Dr. Kuo was also invited to deliver a lecture at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding the safety and efficacy of catheter-directed therapy for acute pulmonary embolism. For Dr. Kuo's biography, please access an earlier award posting at http://radiology.stanford.edu/blog/archives/2007/02/new_faculty_hir_1.html.

The Movie Sequence at Lucas Presents "La Dolce Vita" (1960)

This Wednesday, April 2nd, at 6 PM, the Movie Sequence at Lucas presents "La Dolce Vita" (1960) in the Lucas Learning Center. "La Dolce Vita" was directed by Federico Fellini. For a movie summary/review, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_dolce_vita. If you like, please bring something to snack on and/or something to share. Also, the movie is in Italian, so bring your glasses if you need them to read subtitles. If you have questions, please contact Erika Rubesova, MD; Chardonnay Vance, MS; or Ulrich Willi, MD.

The Movie Sequence takes place every first and third Wednesday of the month at 6 PM (the film will play at 6:15 PM) in the Lucas Learning Center as a private event and free of charge. Black and white classics of various cultural backgrounds will be shown. Everyone is very welcome.

For the Movie Sequence online calendar, please visit
http://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=movie.sequence%40gmail.com&ctz=A.