Valerie P. Jackson, MD, was named president of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) Board of Directors today. An expert in the field of breast imaging, Jackson is the executive director of the American Board of Radiology (ABR), a position she has held since 2014. She previously served on ABR’s board of trustees from 2001 to 2010.
Jackson received her medical degree in 1978 from the Indiana University School of Medicine, and completed her residency at the Indiana University Medical Center in 1982. She is the Eugene C. Klatte Professor Emeritus and has had numerous academic appointments at Indiana University School of Medicine over the years, including lecturer, professor, and chair of the Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences.
As president, Jackson will develop programs and initiatives that support RSNA’s mission to promote excellence in patient care and health care delivery through research, education, and technologic innovation.
“The RSNA annual meeting is the leading forum for the introduction of medical imaging technologies, and the increasingly international attendance at the meeting allows people from all over the world to share knowledge and ideas,” Jackson says. “RSNA continues to grow as a world leader in informatics and has become a critical convener for artificial intelligence, machine learning, and deep learning. While the focus of my career has been predominantly in education, I plan to work hard to continue to advance RSNA in all of these areas.”
Jackson has published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles and 20 books and book chapters with an emphasis on breast imaging and radiologic education. She has served as principal investigator on numerous funded grants, including several focused on radiologic education. Jackson has been a course director and presenter at the RSNA Faculty Development Workshop and is a highly-regarded lecturer and educator, having given more than 320 scientific and educational presentations at meetings worldwide.
An RSNA member since 1982, Jackson has served the society in numerous roles, including chair of the Refresher Course Committee from 2009 to 2012 and chair of the Breast Imaging Subcommittee of the Scientific Program Committee from 2003 to 2006. She was a member of the Public Information Advisors Network from 1997 to 2017 and served RSNA as first vice president from 2008 to 2009 and was a member of the RSNA Centennial Committee. Jackson has been active on many committees of the RSNA Research & Education (R&E) Foundation and served on the R&E Foundation Board of Trustees from 2009 to 2015. She joined the RSNA Board of Directors in 2012 and served as president-elect in 2018.
Jackson has held committee or leadership positions in a number of radiologic organizations, including the Indiana Radiological Society (IRS), American Roentgen Ray Society, Association of University Radiologists, Radiology Research Alliance, Academy of Radiology Research, Society of Breast Imaging (SBI) and the American College of Radiology (ACR).
The recipient of numerous honors throughout her career, Jackson is a fellow of the ACR and has received the gold medals of the IRS, SBI and ACR. The Valerie P. Jackson Education Fellowship also recognizes her work with ACR. Jackson delivered the Annual Oration in Diagnostic Radiology, “Screening Mammography: Controversies and Headlines,” at RSNA 2002.
