Robert A. Lookstein, MD, FSIR, an interventional radiologist and professor of radiology and surgery at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, assumed the office of president of the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) on April 1 during the SIR 2025 Annual Scientific Meeting in Nashville.
"As SIR looks forward to the next 50 years, we remain absolutely committed to empowering our members to provide the highest quality care to the broadest segment of the population," said Lookstein. "Today's interventional radiologists have enthusiastically embraced the transformational power of a longitudinal clinical practice on patient outcomes, and we aim to support the adoption of that model globally."
Other incoming officers of SIR's 2025–2026 Board of Directors include President-elect Saher S. Sabri, MD, FSIR, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, D.C.; newly appointed Secretary Kelvin Hong, MD, FSIR, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore; and Immediate Past-president Robert J. Lewandowski, MD, FSIR, Northwestern Medicine Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago.
Other appointed and elected SIR leadership positions filled this year are:
SIR Board of Directors
• Raymond W. Liu, MD, FSIR—SIR and SIR Foundation Treasurer
• Mark L. Lessne, MD, FSIR—Director, Private Practice
• Constantino S. Peña, MD, FSIR—Director, at-large
• Constantinos T. Sofocleous, MD, PhD, FSIR—Director, at-large
SIR and SIR Foundation Steering Council Divisions
• Sanjeeva P. Kalva, MD, FSIR—International Division Councilor
• Charles Y. Kim, MD, FSIR—2026–2031 Annual Meeting Program Committee
Clinical Specialty Councils
• Srini Tummala, MD, FSIR—Peripheral Arterial Disease Clinical Specialty Council Vice Chair
• Rex M. Pillai, MD—Venous Clinical Specialty Council Vice Chair
• Teodora Bochnakova, MD—Women's Health Clinical Specialty Council Vice Chair
The SIR Foundation board appointed Clifford R. Weiss, MD, FSIR, as the chair of the SIR Foundation Board of Directors. He is a professor of radiology and radiological science at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
"We are experiencing a transformational period in the funding and conducting of medical research, and organizations like SIR Foundation are increasingly pivotal to ensuring consistent support for IR research efforts," said Weiss. "We look forward to advancing key initiatives to ensure we're poised and ready to support interventional radiology research and education for years to come."
SIR Foundation also appointed the following members to its Board of Directors:
• Shellie C. Josephs, MD, FSIR—Vice Chair
• Suresh Vedantham, MD, FSIR—Secretary
• Dara L. Kraitchman, VMD, PhD—Scientist
About the Society of Interventional Radiology
The Society of Interventional Radiology is a nonprofit, professional medical society representing more than 8,000 practicing interventional radiology physicians, trainees, scientists and clinical associates, dedicated to improving patient care through the limitless potential of image-guided therapies. SIR's members work in a variety of settings and at different professional levels—from medical students and residents to university faculty and private practice physicians. Visit sirweb.org. The Society of Interventional Radiology is holding its Annual Scientific Meeting March 29–April 2, 2025, at the Music City Center, Nashville. Visit sirmeeting.org.
About the Society of Interventional Radiology Foundation
SIR Foundation is a scientific foundation dedicated to fostering research and education in interventional radiology for the purposes of advancing scientific knowledge, increasing the number of skilled investigators in interventional radiology and developing innovative therapies that lead to improved patient care and quality of life. Visit sirfoundation.org.
About the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is internationally renowned for its outstanding research, educational, and clinical care programs. It is the sole academic partner for the eight- member hospitals* of the Mount Sinai Health System, one of the largest academic health systems in the United States, providing care to New York City's large and diverse patient population.
The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai offers highly competitive MD, PhD, MD-PhD, and master's degree programs, with enrollment of more than 1,200 students. It has the largest graduate medical education program in the country, with more than 2,600 clinical residents and fellows training throughout the Health System. Its Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences offers 13 degree-granting programs, conducts innovative basic and translational research, and trains more than 560 postdoctoral research fellows.
Ranked 11th nationwide in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is among the 99th percentile in research dollars per investigator according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. More than 4,500 scientists, educators, and clinicians work within and across dozens of academic departments and multidisciplinary institutes with an emphasis on translational research and therapeutics. Through Mount Sinai Innovation Partners (MSIP), the Health System facilitates the real-world application and commercialization of medical breakthroughs made at Mount Sinai.
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* Mount Sinai Health System member hospitals: The Mount Sinai Hospital; Mount Sinai Beth Israel; Mount Sinai Brooklyn; Mount Sinai Morningside; Mount Sinai Queens; Mount Sinai South Nassau; Mount Sinai West; and New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai.
