Titles and Affiliations

Chair, Department of Radiology
Molecular Pharmacology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute
Professor, Gerstner Sloan Kettering Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
Professor, Radiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
New York, New York

Research area

Providing training in the latest advances in radiology to advance clinical management and improve outcomes of breast cancer worldwide.

Impact

Radiologists play a crucial role not just in detecting breast cancer and monitoring cancer response to therapy, but also in breast cancer care—from image-guided breast cancer surgery to treatment interventions. However, radiologists working in settings without access to the latest technology may not be familiar with current advances in screening and treatments. Dr. Hricak leads a research training program that has educated breast imaging radiologists from 20 countries, allowing these specialists to advance treatments and improve outcomes for patients in their communities. 

Progress Thus Far

Dr. Hricak and her colleagues in the department of radiology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center continue to expand their clinical research training program, which is now in its 18th year. Thus far, they have trained 46 radiologists from around the world in the use of advanced technologies for breast imaging. MSK faculty in the Department of Radiology are committed to providing training in these fields and are dedicated to developing an international network of BCRF fellowship-trained radiologists.

What’s next

In the next year, the team will continue to provide training to advance clinical research in breast cancer imaging—using tools such as artificial intelligence, radiomics, and radiogenomics to extract diagnostic, prognostic, or biological information about breast cancer from breast images. They will also give trainees a foundation in interventional oncology for the use of radiation therapy to treat primary and metastatic breast cancer, with emphasis on radiation stimulating anti-tumor immunity. Additionally, they will include education in theranostics, which combines the fields of imaging, diagnostics, and therapeutics. Ultimately, this work will aid in the detection and treatment of breast cancer worldwide.

Biography

Hedvig Hricak is Chair of the Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, a member of the Molecular Pharmacology and Chemistry Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, and Professor, Gerstner Sloan Kettering Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. The hallmark of her research career has been the validation of new imaging technologies and their translation into clinical practice, with a special emphasis on oncology. She is particularly renowned for pioneering the application of MRI to prostate and gynecological cancers. Her extensive publication record includes more than 380 peer-reviewed original research articles and over 135 monographs and book chapters. She is a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences and a "foreign" member of the Croatian Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Russian Academy of Science. She has served on the Scientific Advisory Board of the National Cancer Institute, the Advisory Council of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, and the Nuclear and Radiation Studies Board of the NAS. She has long been committed to promoting education and international collaboration in imaging. With support from BCRF and NCI, she established a global program for training in breast cancer imaging and research. She is also PI of the NIH/NCI R25T program "Molecular Imaging: Training for Oncology," as well as MSKCC co-PI of the training section of the CCNY-MKSCC Partnership grant for underrepresented undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral trainees. Her numerous honors and awards include an honorary doctorate from the Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich.

BCRF Investigator Since

2004

Donor Recognition

The Lifetime Award

Areas of Focus