The 2025 European Congress of Radiology (ECR) is taking place February 25 through March 2. HealthCare Business News spoke to Andrea Rockall, president of the European Society of Radiology (ESR) to learn more about her background in medicine, and what people can expect at the meeting.
HCB News: Who or what inspired you to pursue a career in healthcare? Andrea Rockall: I always loved both the arts and the science subjects at school. When choosing what to study in university, I considered that a life as a doctor would allow me to pursue in my passion for medical science and patient care, with space to enjoy the arts in my life outside of work. I had an aunt who was an ophthalmic surgeon, and she was certainly an inspiration, as the first female surgeon in Canada, where I lived as a child.
HCB News: What are the main goals you are championing as ESR president? AR: My main goal is to drive sustainability in medical imaging. One of the ways in which we will be bringing this vision to life is through the ESR Green ID initiative, which will be launched this year. This scheme will recognize imaging departments committed to environmentally sustainable practices, encouraging a collective shift toward reducing the carbon footprint of radiology. The scheme will also develop a toolkit to help departments make this transition.
I also wanted to explore how radiologists were addressing disparities in access to imaging services worldwide. We want to empower radiologists through education and collaboration and provide them with the tools they need to create a more equitable and sustainable future for our profession. I believe that artificial intelligence will have an important role to play in addressing these challenges, by enhancing efficiency, strengthening communication channels and improving diagnostics.
HCB News: Are there any developments within the field of radiology over the last 12 months that you’re particularly excited about? AR: We have seen a shift along the AI translational pathway this year, with a focus on AI deployment in clinical practice and the human-AI interactions that may be seen. I think this is very exciting for our field and will create quite a change in the way we work over the next few years. The unleashing of large language models (LLMs) has probably been the biggest disrupter this year, with an enormous potential impact on almost everything we do. I have been experimenting with LLMs and will definitely be watching this space!
HCB News: What can attendees expect at this year's ECR?
