The Plenary Sessions are the all-star attractions of the CAR’s Annual Scientific Meeting, drawing in experts in different specialty areas from around the world, and CAR 2025 boasts an exceptional lineup of speakers.
Dr. Bharti Khurana is the first Plenary Session speaker of the weekend. Her presentation, Imaging of Intimate Partner Violence, takes place first thing on Friday, April 4. She is an Associate Professor of Radiology at Harvard Medical School, an Emergency Radiologist at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and the Founding Director of the Trauma Imaging Research and Innovation Center (TIRIC).
“I hope attendees recognize the critical role radiologists play in identifying and addressing intimate partner violence (IPV) through imaging by detecting injury patterns not apparent on physical examinations or not disclosed by patients, and providing objective, unbiased opinion,” she said. “My presentation highlights how radiologists can collaborate with the broader healthcare team to identify and address IPV through imaging, promote comprehensive patient care, and make a significant impact on addressing this important societal issue.”
Dr. Bharti Khurana
Imaging of Intimate Partner Violence
Dr. Àlex Rovira
Update on Typical and Emerging Imaging Findings in Multiple Sclerosis
Dr. Andrea Rockall
Imaging with Impact in Suspected Ovarian Cancer
Dr. Efren Flores
Decoding Health Equity in Radiology
Dr. Perry Pickhardt
Colorectal Cancer: A Radiologist's Perspective
She says CAR 2025 offers an excellent chance to raise awareness of IPV.
“Being a speaker at a national conference like this is important to me because it provides me a platform to reach a large audience of radiologists and advocate for the integration of IPV identification into core radiology training.”
Making the trip to Montréal from Barcelona is Friday afternoon’s Plenary Session speaker, Dr. Àlex Rovira. He is the Director of the Section of Neuroradiology at University Hospital Vall d’Hebron.
“The main objective of my presentation, Update on Typical and Emerging Imaging Findings in Multiple Sclerosis, is to provide general radiologists with an overview of the classic imaging features of multiple sclerosis (MS) in the brain, optic nerve, and spinal cord. This can help distinguish MS from other disorders that may mimic it and minimize its overdiagnosis,” he said. “Additionally, I will discuss novel MR imaging findings, such as the central vein sign and paramagnetic rim lesion, which have been proposed as new imaging biomarkers to enhance diagnostic specificity for MS. These emerging features have been incorporated into the 2024 McDonald Diagnostic Criteria for MS, making it essential for radiologists to be familiar with their appearance and to understand the optimal MRI protocols required for their detection.”
Dr. Rovira believes speaking at CAR 2025 provides an important platform to share critical updates in MS imaging with a broad audience of radiologists in various fields.
“Presenting at this level allows me to contribute to the collective expertise of the field, helping to ensure that emerging diagnostic techniques and criteria are widely understood and accessible, even for non-MS specialists,” he said. “Being invited as a speaker at CAR 2025 is a meaningful recognition of my professional achievements in the field of MS from one of the most active and distinguished radiological societies in the world, and I am truly honored by it.”
Dr. Perry Pickhardt is an American radiologist currently working out of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health as Professor and Chief of Gastrointestinal Imaging. His Plenary Session, Best of the AIRP: Colorectal Cancer: A Radiologist’s Perspective, takes place on Sunday, April 6.
“I’m hoping to provide a fresh 2025 colorectal cancer update, especially given that we will finally have Medicare coverage for screening in the United States. About 20 years delayed but better late than never.”
After his plenary, Dr. Pickhardt will take part in the Lessons I Have Learned panel by delivering a presentation called Avoiding Misdiagnosis in Abdominal Imaging: Review of Missed Cases. He enjoys dissecting missteps in order to improve future performance, saying, “I think it’s always extremely valuable to learn from previous misses and misinterpretations in the hopes that we can avoid mistakes going forward prospectively.”
Take a look at the complete list of Plenary Session Speakers appearing at CAR 2025 and read their full biographies.
