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First Round of Abstract Submission Ends: Dec 31, 2026
Extended Early Bird Ends: Aug 28, 2026

Keynote Speakers

Prof. Akio Hiwatashi
Nagoya City University, Japan
Title: Clinical Utility of PCDCT at NCU
EDUCATION AND TRAINING

1997 M.D., Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
2001 Neuroradiology, Department of Radiology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA


ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS

2022–Present Professor, Department of Radiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya, Japan
2006–2022 Department of Radiology, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan. Public research records document later service as Assistant Professor and Associate Professor.


AREAS OF EXPERTISE

• Neuroradiology and neuroimaging
• Interventional Radiology (IVR)
• Magnetic resonance imaging and advanced quantitative imaging
• Photon-counting detector CT and emerging imaging technologies


PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS

• Board-Certified Diagnostic Radiologist, Japan Radiological Society
• Training Supervisor, Japan Radiological Society
• Board-Certified Interventional Radiologist, Japanese Society of Interventional Radiology
• Supervising Physician, Japanese Society of Interventional Radiology
• Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) Certificate
• CBT External Supervisor, Common Achievement Tests Organization
• Clinical Training Supervisor
• First-Class Radiation Protection Supervisor

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

• Japan Radiological Society
• Japanese Society of Interventional Radiology
• The Japanese Society of Neuroradiology
• Japanese Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine
• Japanese College of Radiology
• Japanese Society for CNS Computed Imaging
• Japanese Society for Radiation Oncology
• Japanese Society of Nuclear Medicine
• Radiological Society of North America (RSNA)
• American Society of Neuroradiology (ASNR)
• European Society of Radiology (ESR)
• International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM)



PUBLICATIONS

Selected recent peer-reviewed publications
2026 Matsumoto K, Nakashima M, Kawai T, Kawaguchi T, Urano M, Kitera N, Watanabe S, Hiwatashi A. Photon-counting detector CT vs energy-integrating detector CT for the diagnosis of arterial dissection in the cervicocerebral region: A single-center case series. Radiology Case Reports. doi:10.1016/j.radcr.2026.07.123.
2026 Shoji J, Ohta K, Suzuki K, Horibe A, Hatano M, Murai K, Nakajima K, Iwata H, Ogino H, Hiwatashi A. Comparison of percutaneous and transarterial fiducial marker placement before proton therapy for pancreatic cancer. Journal of Radiation Research. doi:10.1093/jrr/rrag032.
2026 Sudo S, Nakajima K, Ogino H, Yokoyama Y, Sunagawa M, Iwata H, Hattori Y, Hayashi K, Toshito T, Hiwatashi A. Definitive proton therapy for unresectable trunk soft tissue sarcoma: A single-institution prospective registry-based cohort study. Clinical and Translational Radiation Oncology. doi:10.1016/j.ctro.2026.101192.
2026 Murai K, Kisohara M, Itoh T, Ito T, Kitera N, Watanabe S, Sagoh H, Kawai T, Hiwatashi A. Effect of CT Section Thickness on Aortic Valve Calcium Scoring via Photon-counting Detector CT. Radiology: Cardiothoracic Imaging. 8(2). doi:10.1148/ryct.250221.
2026 Sato T, Kawai T, Takikawa J, et al. Feasibility of Robot-Assisted CT-Guided Interventions Compared with Conventional Technique: A Prospective, Randomized, Clinical Trial. Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology. 37(3):107925. doi:10.1016/j.jvir.2025.107925.
2025 Hiwatashi A, Nakashima M, Matsumoto K, Kawaguchi T, Urano M, Kawai T. Neuro applications of photon-counting detector CT. British Journal of Radiology. doi:10.1093/bjr/tqaf082.
2025 Nakashima M, Kawai T, Matsumoto K, Kawaguchi T, Nobuo Kitera, Watanabe S, Hiwatashi A. Metal artifact reduction from surgical clips for intracranial aneurysms in photon-counting detector CT angiography. European Journal of Radiology. 192:112411. doi:10.1016/j.ejrad.2025.112411.
2018 Hiwatashi A, Togao O, Yamashita K, Kikuchi K, Kamei R, Yoshikawa H, Takemura A, Honda H. Diffusivity of intraorbital lymphoma vs. inflammation: comparison of single shot turbo spin echo and multishot echo planar imaging techniques. European Radiology. 28(1):325–330. doi:10.1007/s00330-017-4995-5.
2017 Hiwatashi A, Togao O, Yamashita K, Kikuchi K, Ogata H, Yamasaki R, Yoneyama M, Kira JI, Honda H. Evaluation of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy: 3D SHINKEI. European Radiology. 27(2):447–453. doi:10.1007/s00330-016-4406-3.
2004 Lin EP, Ekholm S, Hiwatashi A, Westesson PL. Vertebroplasty: cement leakage into the disc increases the risk of new fracture of adjacent vertebral body. AJNR American Journal of Neuroradiology. 25(2):175–180.
2003 Hiwatashi A, Kinoshita T, Moritani T, Wang HZ, Shrier DA, Numaguchi Y, Ekholm SE, Westesson PL. Hypointensity on diffusion-weighted MRI of the brain related to T2 shortening and susceptibility effects. AJR American Journal of Roentgenology. 181(6):1705–1709.
2003 Hiwatashi A, Garber T, Moritani T, Kinoshita T, Westesson PL. Diffusion-weighted MR imaging of neuro-Behçet’s disease: a case report. Neuroradiology. 45(7):468–471.
2003 Hiwatashi A, Moritani T, Numaguchi Y, Westesson PL. Increase in vertebral body height after vertebroplasty. AJNR American Journal of Neuroradiology. 24(2):185–189.
Prof. Takashi Yoshiura
Kagoshima University, Japan
Title: Impact of ultra-high performance gradient on clinical diffusion-weighted imaging of brain
Will update soon.
Prof. Romaric Loffroy
François-Mitterrand University Hospital, France
Title: NBCA for PAE: Rationale, Technique and Results
Department of Vascular and Interventional Radiology, Image-Guided Therapy Center, ICMUB Laboratory, UMR CNRS 6302, University of Dijon School of Medicine, François-Mitterrand Teaching Hospital, 14 Rue Gaffarel, BP 77908, 21079 Dijon Cedex, France.

Dr. Romaric Loffroy, M.D., Ph.D., is Professor of interventional radiology currently working at the University of Dijon School of Medicine. Originally from Dijon, France, Dr. Loffroy obtained his medical degree from the University of Burgundy, Dijon, France in 2001 and then perceived his residency in radiology at the same University, completed in 2006. Thereafter, his special interest in the field of interventional radiology led him to do a clinical fellowship in interventional radiology at the department of vascular and interventional radiology at the University Hospital in Dijon, France. His field of expertise is in interventional radiology, especially in embolization techniques, with particular interest in gastrointestinal bleeding as well as peripheral venous and arterial diseases. Dr. Loffroy’s keen interest in the field of research in interventional oncology brought him to the research center in the department of interventional radiology at the prestigious Johns Hopkins Medical Hospital in Baltimore as a postdoctoral research fellow in 2009. Dr. Loffroy is currently doing research in liquid embolic agents, especially cyanoacrylates, and working towards newer endovascular therapies for benign prostatic hyperplasia, venous diseases and liver cancer. Dr. Loffroy has published more than 250 SCI journal papers and book chapters, edited/reviewed for many academic journals, coordinated/participated in several international projects, served as an evaluation expert for organizations such as French Society of Radiology (SFR) and High Authority of Health (HAS). He is currently the Past President of the French Society of Vascular and Interventional Imaging (SFICV) and the Director of European Liquid Embolic Course (ELEC).
Prof. Heinz-Peter Schlemmer
German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Germany
Title: From Pioneering Steps to Standard of Care: How MRI Transformed Prostate Cancer Detection and Treatment
Professor Heinz-Peter Schlemmer is a leading expert in oncologic imaging and Full Professor of Oncologic Radiology at the Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University. He heads the Division of Radiology at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), where he coordinated the research program “Imaging and Radiooncology” from 2011 to 2022.

Trained in both physics and medicine, Professor Schlemmer has devoted more than 25 years to advancing imaging technologies for cancer diagnosis and treatment. He began his career in nuclear magnetic resonance physics and biophysics at the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg and subsequently held clinical and research positions at renowned university hospitals and research institutions in Germany and abroad.

His clinical and scientific work focuses on multimodal and multiparametric cancer imaging, including advanced MRI and MR spectroscopy at field strengths from 1.5 to 7.0 tesla, whole-body MRI, dual-energy and spectral CT, and PET/MRI. His research spans cancer detection and characterization, staging, assessment of metastatic disease, image-guided biopsy and focal therapy, radiation treatment planning, and therapy monitoring. Prostate cancer imaging has been a longstanding focus.

Professor Schlemmer is active in national and international clinical and scientific societies. He has led specialist workshops, organized scientific conferences in senior leadership roles, including as congress president, and contributed to German clinical guideline committees for more than a decade.

He has authored or co-authored more than 600 peer-reviewed publications, has an h-index of 76, and has delivered more than 500 invited lectures at national and international conferences.
Dr. Rosa Alba Pugliesi
University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland
Title: The Role of Elastography in the Quantification of Liver Fibrosis in Patients with Liver Disease and Correlation with Metabolic Risk
Rosa Alba Pugliesi, MD, MSc, MHA, is a radiologist and Nuclear Medicine & Radiology resident at University Hospital Zurich (USZ), Switzerland, with an international academic and clinical background. She is board-certified in Germany and has expertise in abdominal and pediatric imaging, including MRI, CT, ultrasound, and elastography. She holds an MSc in Clinical Research from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health/Dresden International University and an MHA from Northwestern University. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Abdominal Radiology at the University of Palermo and will serve as elected Chair of the Ultrasound Working Group of the German Radiological Society for 2027–2029.
Dr. Yao Sui
Peking University, China
Title: To be confirmed.
Yao Sui, PhD, is an Assistant Professor with the Peking University, with research interests in a broad range of medical and engineering disciplines, including specific expertise and research experience in neuroimaging, medical image computing, computer vision, and artificial intelligence. He was an Instructor of Radiology with the Harvard Medical School, Faculty of Medicine of Harvard, and a Scientist with the Department of Radiology, Boston Children's Hospital. His research has focused on developing novel technologies and computational image models, in order to understand and interpret radiological images. These studies have resulted in over 50 peer-reviewed publications in premium journals and conferences, among which over 20 were first-authored.
Dr. Diane S. Abou
NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes, LLC, USA
Title: To be confirmed
Dr. Abou is a Principal Radiochemist at NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes, LLC and an Assistant Professor at the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology at Washington University in St. Louis.

Her work broadly covers development and translation in the emerging radiopharmaceutical theranostics space. Her contributions include isotope production, radiolabeling, novel agent development, evaluation and formulation of radiopharmaceuticals for imaging and therapy. The current focus of these efforts are on radiochemistry, in vitro and in vivo preclinical evaluations, cGMP development and CMC support for regulatory submission of first-in-human radiopharmaceuticals clinical trials.

Dr. Abou served as an Elected Board Member of the Radiopharmaceutical Sciences Council at the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI). She is currently an Editor at EJNMMI, Radiopharmacy and Chemistry, Radiopharmaceutical Quality Assurance; and an Editorial Board Member of Journal of Nuclear Medicine (JNM).
Dr. Karen Buch
Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
Title: Current State: Our Evolving Understanding of Spinal CSF Leaks
Dr. Karen Buch is a neuroradiologist at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). She is currently the Medical Director of Neuroradiology at MGH and the Neuroradiology Fellowship Program Director at MGH. Her areas of expertise are in neurotrauma, spinal CSF leaks, and head and neck imaging.
Prof. Denys Alban
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Switzerland
Title: Non cirrhotic portal vein occlusion, what are the intervention radiology options?
Born in 1963, Alban Denys studied medicine at the University of Paris V, Cochin-Port Royal Hospital, graduating in 1987. He specialized in radiology and subsequently obtained a research master's degree (1991) and a specialist diploma (1993) in medical imaging. His doctoral thesis earned him the silver medal from the Faculty of Medicine of Paris VII, followed by the medal from the Paris Hospitals Internship.

He then went to Canada for a year as a research and clinical resident in the Radiology Department at St. Luc Hospital in Montreal. Returning to France in 1994, he was appointed senior registrar, then attending physician in the Radiology Department at Beaujon Hospital of the Paris Hospitals, where he earned his Habilitation to Supervise Research (HDR) with highest honors (University of Paris VII). He returned to Canada five years later as a visiting professor at McGill University and the University of Montreal, before joining Lausanne as an associate physician in the Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Department at the Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV). He was appointed Privatdozent and Assistant Physician in charge of Digestive Imaging and Interventional Radiology in 2001, and then Associate Professor in 2002.

In early 2010, he was invited by the FBM to become a full professor at UNIL and head physician of the Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Department at CHUV. On July 1, 2020, he succeeded Prof. Reto Meuli as head of the department.

His research focuses on discovering new local and regional treatments for liver cancer. In collaboration with teams from the University of Geneva, INSERM (France), and the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, his work aims to develop innovative tools. His group also tests new therapeutic techniques for treating liver cancer through multicenter studies.

An internationally recognized expert in his field, Alban Denys is a member of the editorial board of several journals in his specialty, including Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology.

He is also chairman of the European Conference on Interventional Oncology (ECIO), the most important international congress in the field of interventional oncology.

The activities of his team are developing at a sustained pace. The opening of two new interventional suites in 2011 and then in 2019 has supported the rapid development of this clinical activity. The strengthening of multidisciplinary patient care pathways, involving surgeons, oncologists, gastroenterologists, and radiologists, and the development of the Cancer Center in Lausanne, are opening up new perspectives for him in both clinical practice and research.