Society of Interventional Radiology formally welcomes new president
The Society of Interventional Radiology formally welcomed its new president for the 2025–2026 term during its Members’ Business Meeting on Tuesday.
Robert Lookstein, MD, FSIR, has been serving as the chief of interventional radiology at Mount Sinai in New York for more than a decade, but he tells SIR that his path to IR was not a straight one. Lookstein initially began his medical training in general surgery but became intrigued by IR during that time. This led him to shift his studies to IR, joining the IR residency program at Mount Sinai and eventually their fellowship before becoming chief in 2012.
No stranger to SIR, Lookstein has contributed to the society’s initiatives for more than 20 years, taking on numerous roles throughout that time. He has held roles with the Economics Council and FDA Liaison Committee, in addition to serving on the Board and Executive Council.
During his tenure, Lookstein says he is focused on growing IR’s role in patient care, expanding the specialty’s reach into longitudinal care and enhancing the relationships between patients and IR teams.
“Unlike our origins—where IRs met patients only moments before a procedure—today’s IRs are building relationships, following patients through their journey and providing comprehensive outpatient care,” he said in the interview. “I want to grow this model worldwide and showcase its power to transform lives.”
One of the keys to achieving this goal will be to increase awareness of the many treatment offerings available through IR, which has somewhat hindered its utilization since it officially became a subspecialty of radiology. He said that it is important for IR teams to make their value known—a message that emerged as a prominent theme during the SIR meeting this week.
“A key challenge is defining and communicating our value. Our expertise is clear, but demonstrating it to stakeholders—whether in hospitals or outpatient labs—requires clarity and confidence,” he suggested. “When IRs can articulate their value, they’re empowered to lead, grow and elevate care.”
SIR’s annual meeting is set to wrap up Wednesday in Nashville.
In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She began covering the medical imaging industry for Innovate Healthcare in 2021.