RSNA 2026 Gold Medalist

An internationally known radiologist with expertise on the pathologic basis of thoracic imaging abnormalities, Melissa L. Rosado de Christenson, MD, is professor of radiology and imaging sciences at the University of Arizona, Tucson, and an attending radiologist in the Division of Cardiothoracic Imaging at Banner University Medical Center, Tucson, AZ.

“Dr. Rosado de Christenson’s extraordinary scholarship, inspired teaching and distinguished leadership have shaped thoracic imaging and generations of radiologists worldwide,” said RSNA President Jeffrey S. Klein, MD. “Her exemplary military service, commitment to mentorship and enduring contributions have made a lasting impact on our profession.”

Dr. Rosado de Christenson enrolled in the first class of women to attend the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD, and was a member of the charter class of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, MD, where upon graduation she was commissioned as Captain, United States Air Force (USAF), Medical Corps.

She completed her diagnostic radiology residency at George Washington University Medical Center in Washington, DC. Her first assignment as a radiologist was at the 13^th Air Force Medical Center in the Republic of the Philippines. She was then selected to the Department of Radiologic Pathology at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP), in Washington, DC, where she served for over 13 years culminating in her appointment as chairman and registrar. She retired from military service in 2001 as a decorated USAF Colonel. During her career she trained over 25,000 radiologists, residents and other physicians.

Dr. Rosado de Christenson authored or coauthored 84 manuscripts published in the peer-reviewed medical literature, 15 thoracic imaging textbooks, and 228 book chapters. She has been a featured speaker at numerous national and international radiology meetings and a visiting professor at universities throughout the United States and abroad.

She is past president of the American Association for Women Radiologists, the Society of Thoracic Radiology and the American Roentgen Ray Society.

Dr. Rosado de Christenson is a fellow of the American College of Radiology and the American Association for Women Radiologists. She is the recipient of the inaugural 2025 Society of Thoracic Radiology Lifetime Mentoring Award, the American Association for Women Radiologists’ Marie Sklodowska-Curie Award, as well as gold medals from the Society of Thoracic Radiology and the American Roentgen Ray Society.