Yale names new radiology chair, Rad Partners’ board addition, plus more leadership moves from ASTRO, Merit Medical

The Yale School of Medicine on Thursday named a new chair at the top of its Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, one of several recent leadership moves in the specialty. 

Christopher Whitlow, MD, PhD, MHA, has accepted the role and will begin his tenure on Oct. 20. He’ll also serve as dean of translational research at the school, along with chief of radiology at Yale New Haven Hospital and radiologist-in-chief of its greater health system. 

Whitlow currently is a distinguished professor and enterprise chair of radiology with the Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He also is founder and director of its Radiology Informatics and Imaging Processing Lab and oversees the school’s combined MD/PhD program, among other duties. 

Whitlow succeeds Rob Goodman, MBBS, MBA, who has filled the role since April 2017. Cristina Fuss, MD, will continue as interim chair of the department until October when Whitlow takes over, pending approval by the Yale Corp. and health system board of trustees. 

“In his new roles, he will focus on developing faculty and fostering collaborations across [the Yale School of Medicine] and [Yale New Haven Health System],” Dean of Medicine Nancy J. Brown, MD, and YNHH President Pamela M. Sutton-Wallace, MPH, wrote in a message shared July 31. “Inspired by the talent and creativity in the department and across the school, he aspires to promote converging data integration and translational innovation and synthesizing imaging, genomics, and clinical information to evolve the interpretation of health information and drive precision diagnostics.”

Whitlow is a board-certified clinical neuroradiologist with doctoral training in neuropharmacology and cerebral physiology. He evaluates patients with a variety of such conditions, including traumatic brain injury and Alzheimer’s. Whitlow currently has more than $23 million of active research funding from the National Institutes of Health and private foundations as a lead investigator and $55 million more as co-participant. Through his work with the Radiology Informatics and Imaging Processing Lab, Whitlow has translated AI-based imaging applications into clinical care, including deploying real-time predictive analytics for oncology. 

He's a previous president of the American Society of Functional Neuroradiology (2023-2024) and currently serves on committees of the RSNA, American College of Radiology and American Society of Neuroradiology. In addition to piloting the expansion of the diagnostic and interventional imaging services across New Haven, Connecticut-based Yale New Haven Health, Whitlow will contribute to growth in its neurosciences services line, according to the announcement. 

Rad Partners board update

Radiology Partners on Tuesday announced the appointment of John Chiminski, a “distinguished” healthcare and pharmaceutical services leader, to its board of directors. 

He brings over 30 years of healthcare leadership experience, most recently serving as executive chair of Catalent, a Somerset, New Jersey-based pharmaceutical manufacturer. Chiminski was previously chairman and CEO of the company for over 13 years, growing it from a carve-out of Cardinal Health into a global manufacturing outfit. 

This eventually culminated in Catalent’s acquisition by Novo Holdings for $16.5 billion, finalized in February. 

“His proven track record of driving enterprise growth, scaling innovation and delivering operational excellence will be invaluable as we continue to advance our mission of transforming radiology and expanding the specialty’s impact on patient care,” Rich Whitney, MBA, CEO and chair of the El Segundo, California-based radiology group, said in a statement July 29. 

Chiminski also guided Catalent through a successful initial public stock offering and “executed strategic investments that drove long-term growth,” RP noted. Before that, he served as president and CEO of GE Medical Diagnostics and head of its global magnetic resonance and healthcare services divisions. 

“RP’s commitment to clinical and technology innovation and its mission-driven culture align with my passion for advancing healthcare,” Chiminski said in a statement. 

Rad Partners also previously announced the addition of Andrew Litt, MD, to its board room in May 2023. Founded in 2012, RP is backed by private equity firm Whistler Capital and VC group New Enterprise Associates. It employs approximately 4,000 physicians, servicing 3,400-plus sites across all 50 states, and handling a total of 56 million cases annually. 

New ASTRO president-elect

Members of the American Society for Radiation Oncology recently elected four new officers to the ASTRO Board of Directors. 

Catheryn M. Yashar, MD, is the society’s new president-elect. She currently serves as professor of radiation medicine and applied sciences at the University of California San Diego, along with CMO and associate dean for UCSD Health. 

Yashar is a nationally recognized expert in health policy and economics, also chairing ASTRO’s Health Policy Council. As president, she plans to advocate for reimbursement models reflecting the true cost and value of radiation oncology, strengthening collaboration with related medical specialties, and expanding her profession’s visibility. 

“As ASTRO president, I intend to amplify our specialty’s unique voice,” Yashar said in a statement July 23. “By deepening collaboration with other disciplines, supporting research that transforms our field and advocating for policies that reflect the true worth of our care, we can ensure radiation oncology remains at the forefront of patient-centered, outcome-driven medicine.”

ASTRO members also selected Jonathan Strauss, MD, MBA, as the society’s secretary/treasurer-elect; Anita Mahajan, MD, as Health Policy Council vice chair; and David J. Carlson, PhD, as Science Council vice chair. All four officers will begin their terms Sept. 30 at ASTRO’s 67th Annual Meeting in San Francisco.

Merit Medical names new CEO

Interventional radiology vendor Merit Medical Systems on July 7 named Martha Aronson, MBA, as its new president and CEO, effective Oct. 3. 

She brings “extensive” experience, previously serving as executive VP and president of global healthcare for infection-prevention solutions provider Ecolab. Aronson also was senior VP for Hill-Rom Holdings and before that spent 20 years at Medtronic in various roles. 

She replaces Fred Lampropoulos, founder and longtime CEO of the South Jordan, Utah, vendor, who will continue as board chairman after the transition. 

“Martha is uniquely qualified to lead Merit into the future and drive its continued success,” Lampropoulos said in a statement July 7. “Her keen intellect and proven track record of empowering global teams through collaborative excellence, consistent with ‘The Merit Way,’ makes her the ideal leader for Merit’s next stage of growth.”

Other items of note

A few more leadership items of note, in brief: 

• Clifford R. Jack Jr., MD, a professor of radiology with the Mayo Clinic, was the recent recipient of the Alzheimer's Association’s Henry Wisniewski Lifetime Achievement Award. 
• The American College of Radiology recently named Priscilla J. Slanetz, MD, MPH, a  breast radiologist at Boston Medical Center, as its Radiology Advocacy Network Advocate of the Year. 
• And finally, the Society of Interventional Radiology is seeking nominations through Oct. 31 for its Early Career Section’s new Recognizing Inspirational Service and Engagement Award. RISE will acknowledge an individual who has showcased leadership by consistently supporting early career IRs through mentorship, community building and advocacy.