Dean’s Distinguished Lecturer, Dr. James H. Thrall

On Thursday, September 1, 2016, the Department of Radiology and the Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine jointly hosted James H. Thrall, MD, Chair Emeritus of the Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Distinguished Taveras Professor of Radiology, Harvard Medical School. During his visit, Dr. Thrall gave two excellent presentations. The first was entitled “Radiology and Pathology: Convergence of Methods and New Opportunities to Work Together,” which faculty members, fellows, and residents in Radiology and Pathology & Laboratory Medicine were invited to attend. The second was entitled “The Role of Imaging in the Age of Precision Medicine,” a cutting-edge presentation given as part of the Dean’s Distinguished Lecture Series. Throughout the day, Dr. Thrall met with various groups within the College of Medicine and UK HealthCare. Dr. Thrall received his M.D. from the University of Michigan in 1968 and trained in Radiology and Nuclear Medicine at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C. In 1975, he returned to the University of Michigan and was quickly promoted to full Professor. He was Chair of Radiology at Henry Ford Hospital from 1983 until 1988. From 1988 to 2013, he served as Radiologist-in-Chief at Massachusetts General Hospital. Among Dr. Thrall’s many accomplishments, he has served as the President of the American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS), Chair of the American College of Radiology (ACR) Board of Chancellors, and President of the ACR. He served on the Board of Trustees of the Research and Education Foundation of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), the Board of Directors of the Academy of Radiology Research (ARR), the Executive Council of the American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS), the Board of Trustees of the Society of Nuclear Medicine (SNMMI), and the Board of Councilors of the Society of Chiefs of Academic Radiology Departments (SCARD). He has received numerous honors and awards, including Gold Medals (or the equivalent) from six national and international societies. In addition to those impressive achievements, Dr. Thrall is a member of the Institute of Medicine, which is part of the National Academies of Science. He has also served on the Advisory Committee to the Director of the National Institutes of Health and the National Advisory Council of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering.