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?
AR: The cornerstone of ECR 2025 is its theme ‘Planet Radiology’. I wanted this theme, and subsequently the congress program, to resonate with attendees by highlighting the challenges we face as a global community and the unique role radiology can play in addressing them.

Whether it’s through congress programs like “Imagers Fixing the World,” which celebrates real-world initiatives making a difference, or our series of sessions that will address sustainability in radiology, I want ECR 2025 to become a hub for positive change and innovation in our profession. My hope is that every participant leaves, not only with new knowledge and skills, but also with a sense of purpose and pride in what our profession can achieve.

HCB News: Are there any presentations you are particularly interested in?
AR: I am very excited for our three plenary lectures, each of which will address topics that relate directly to the themes of ‘Planet Radiology’. Simon Reeve, TV personality, author and renowned adventurer will use his experience to highlight everyday ways in which people can reduce their environmental impact and reach under-served communities. Rowland Illing, Chief Medical Officer for Amazon Web Services will talk about how cloud technology can be harnessed by radiologists to improve workflows, open communication channels and drive global health equity. And Linda Moy, accomplished radiologist and Editor-in-Chief of Radiology, will use her lecture to explore strategies to cut production costs, reduce waste, and open new markets.

Our Opening Ceremony will also be an absolute stand-out event of the congress. The ceremony will be divided into four elemental-themed acts, with unique dance and musical performances that I cannot wait for the audience to witness. Other highlights will include our legendary Image Interpretation Quizzes, sessions on interventional radiology in The Cube and the many cutting-edge presentations that will take place in our AI theatre.

HCB News: What are some of the issues being faced in European radiology?
AR: I think there are three critical challenges that European radiology faces at present. First, integrating AI into workflows offers opportunities to improve efficiency and accuracy, but requires training, ethical safeguards, and infrastructure investment. It’s important that we work with all healthcare stakeholders to create strong educational programs, guidelines and laws that can help lead us in our use of this powerful technology.

Second, addressing workforce shortages is vital; expanding training, leveraging AI for routine tasks, and promoting teleradiology can help mitigate this issue, but we must also take action at a grass-roots level to inspire medical students to pursue a career in radiology.

Finally, disparities in access to modern imaging technology and services across Europe demand investment in infrastructure and standardized interoperability. By tackling these challenges, radiology can continue to play a key role in advancing healthcare.

HCB News: What is one of the best pieces of advice you have received as a professional?
AR: Hmm, that is a difficult question! I think perhaps this could be advice I received from a very senior imaging researcher who observed that in science there are quite a wide variety of personalities and temperaments, with different outlooks and ways of working. What is important is to understand how to work with each individual, in order to get the very best from people that we supervised or collaborate with and let them fly!