Suhny Abbara, MD, Named Editor of ‘Radiology’

The RSNA Board of Directors announced that Suhny Abbara, MD, will become editor of the Society’s flagship journal, Radiology, in January 2026.

“After an extensive international search, I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Suhny Abbara as the new Editor-in-Chief of Radiology,” said Tina Young Poussaint, MD, RSNA Board liaison for publications. “Dr. Abbara is a recognized radiology leader who brings a distinguished record of scholarship, editorial experience, and commitment to advancing excellence. In this new role, he will guide the journal’s strategic vision, uphold the highest standards of scientific integrity, and foster innovative contributions that shape the future of radiology.

As the Radiology editor, Dr. Abbara will be responsible for setting high standards of integrity for the journal, encouraging submissions of scientific manuscripts, developing guidelines and mechanisms for peer review of submitted manuscripts, releasing accepted manuscripts on a timely basis for publication and formulating and interpreting editorial philosophy and policies. He will also oversee the publication of RSNA’s suite of six journals.

“I am deeply honored to be named editor of Radiology, a journal that has long set the standard for excellence in our field,” Dr. Abbara said. “Together with our editorial team and contributors, I look forward to advancing the science and impact of radiology for the benefit of our patients and the global medical community. We will embrace emerging technologies, support rigorous science and clinical trials, and incorporate a broad range of perspectives and global viewpoints, all while remaining grounded in the core values of scientific excellence and patient-centered care.

Launched by RSNA in 1923, Radiology is the specialty’s leading journal, featuring the most current, clinically relevant and highest quality research in the field of medical imaging. Radiology provides meaningful information to medical imaging physicians and scientists aiming to improve health and reduce the burden of disease.

Every month, Radiology features peer-reviewed, timely clinical research, authoritative reviews, editorials, commentaries and experimental studies. Radiology has an impact factor of 15.2, making it the most cited journal in the field.

Since 2019, Dr. Abbara has been the editor of RSNA’s Radiology: Cardiothoracic Imaging, a bimonthly journal emphasizing research advances and technical developments in medical imaging that drive cardiothoracic medicine.

Dr. Abbara is a senior associate consultant and chair of the Cardiothoracic Imaging Division at Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida. Until 2024, he was tenured professor of radiology, division chief, and fellowship director at UT Southwestern Medical Center, in Dallas. While there, he established a 3D imaging laboratory and created and chaired the CT Operations Committee.

The focus of Dr. Abbara’s research has been in cardiac CT and MRI, lung cancer screening and early detection, and the identification of imaging biomarkers to predict the outcomes of post-surgical procedures and anesthesia outcomes. He also specializes in cardiac CT angiography and coronary calcium scoring, a noninvasive CT scan of the heart which calculates a person’s risk of developing coronary artery disease by measuring the amount of calcified plaque in the coronary arteries. He has an interest in imaging of cardiothoracic diseases with advanced technologies, such as spectral imaging with photon counting CT.

A 1995 graduate of Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf, Dr. Abbara completed a vascular surgery internship at the same institution in 1997, and his first three years of residency in radiology at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C., in 2000 and an internship in surgery at the University of Hawaii Surgical Residency Program in Honolulu in 2001. From 2001 to 2002, he was the chief radiology resident at Georgetown University Hospital. He then received advanced training in cardiac imaging through a fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

After completing his fellowship in 2003, Dr. Abbara became an instructor and later an assistant professor of radiology at Harvard Medical School in Boston, where in 2009, he became an associate professor of radiology.

From 2003 to 2013, he was director of education for the Cardiac MR and CT Program at Harvard Medical School, where he also served as director of the Clinical Cardiac Imaging Division from 2004 to 2011 and director of the Clinical Cardiac Imaging Fellowship from 2005 to 2013.

Dr. Abbara served on the editorial boards of the Journal of Thoracic Imaging, Cardiovascular Diagnosis and Therapy and Imaging in Medicine. He served as associate editor for the Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography, the International Journal of Cardiovascular Imaging and the cardiac imaging section of the Year Book of Diagnostic Radiology.

Dr. Abbara has co-authored more than 300 peer-reviewed articles, several books and textbooks, and dozens of clinical guidelines and reports. He has been a reviewer for nearly 25 scientific journals, including Radiology, RadioGraphics, Journal of the American Heart Association, International Journal of Cardiology, International Journal of Cardiovascular Imaging and Academic Radiology.

Among Dr. Abbara’s many awards and honors are the Editor’s Recognition Award from RadioGraphics, Volunteer Service Award from the American Board of Radiology, Golden Apple Award from UT Southwestern Medical Center and numerous Cum Laude awards from RSNA. In 2014, 2017 and 2020, Dr. Abbara was the recipient of the RSNA Honored Educator Award, which is presented to individuals invested in furthering the profession of radiology by delivering high quality educational content in their field of study. Dr. Abbara was listed among America’s Top Doctors by Castle Connolly in 2016, 2017 and 2022. He was awarded the gold medal by the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography in 2024.

A longtime member of RSNA, Dr. Abbara has served multiple times on the Cardiac Subcommittee of the Scientific Program Committee and the Education Exhibits Awards Committee. He was chair of the Cardiac Track on the Refresher Course Committee from 2016-2019. Dr. Abbara was also a member and chair of the Cardiac Radiology Panel for RadioGraphics.

Dr. Abbara also has served a number of other professional societies, including the American Heart Association, American College of Radiology (ACR), the American Roentgen Ray Society, the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT), North American Society for Cardiovascular Imaging, the American College of Cardiology and the American Society of Echocardiography. He is a fellow of the ACR, NASCI and SCCT.

RSNA will appoint an interim editor for Radiology: Cardiothoracic Imaging and begin the search for a new editor in early 2026.

For More Information

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