ISRRT_August_2006

Report
sessions and were very impressed by the depth, content and
delivery of presentations. Everyone came away with at least
one new idea to foster within their own departments.
A highlight of each ISRRT World Congress is the Hutchinson
Lecture, named for E.R. Hutchinson, a founder of the
ISRRT and also its first Secretary General. This year’s Hutchinson
Lecture was presented by Sanjiv Sam Gambhir, M.D.,
Ph.D., director of the molecular imaging program at Stanford
University.
In his lecture, titled “Medicine’s Incredible Future,” Dr.
Gambhir described how molecular imaging represents the future
of not just radiology, but of medicine as a whole.
He drew an analogy between exploring an unknown
planet and exploring the human body. “Imagine an alien race
and trying to understand a complicated planet such as Earth.
The first thing the aliens might do is send a satellite. With the
satellite pictures, they would see the oceans and the
continents. If they zoomed in, they would see more
detail - the freeways and buildings and so on. But
they still wouldn’t understand how the planet really
works,” he said.
Conventional imaging, Dr. Gambhir noted, provides
important anatomical information but lacks
specificity. “Mammography is like shooting bullets
into a room full of hundreds of people and seeing
what comes out the other side. Molecular imaging
is like walking into the room and interviewing every
single person who is there.”
This does not mean that conventional imaging is
not needed, Dr. Gambhir said, “because even if you
find cancer you need to know where it’s at. You still
need the spatial information.”
Although many people associate molecular
imaging with nuclear medicine,
Dr. Gambhir noted that
it has applications in magnetic
resonance, ultrasound, optical
imaging and other areas. “Probably
the area with the greatest
growth right now is optical
imaging,” he said, along with
microfluidics, split coil MR-
PET and nanotechnology.
On the social scene the
events organised were great
opportunities for networking
and interaction with local and
international registrants and
between all participants and
the technical representatives.
The opening function was held
in the technical exhibition area
and all exhibitions were well
attended. The World Congress
Social Event was in the Plaza
ballrooms and the feature of
this evening was the fantastic artist who created large works
(Ghandi, Mother Theresa and John Lennon) with great speed
and accuracy. These works of art were the subject of a silent
auction towards the end of the conference. This was followed
by dancing to a hot band the highlight of which seems
to have been the indoor volley ball played by a band of very
‘merry’ souls accompanied by great hilarity. The Wild West
Night was attended by a small group, some of who were in
costume which added to the general feel of the event.
The closing ceremony was well attended and full of ceremony.
The outgoing ISRRT President Tyrone Goh spoke on
the future of ISRRT and it’s hopes for the future while the
incoming President Robert George defined his reasons and
role models for attaining the position. The ceremony closed
with a promotion for the 2008 ISRRT Conference to be held
in Durban in April of that year.
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