MINUTES of NAIRS ANNUAL MEETING

December 1, 2009

Reza Restaurant, Chicago

PRESENT:  Gholamali Afshang, Arash Anavim, Mohammad (Farshad) Bahador, Akbar Bonakdarpour, Peyman Borghei, Farid Dahi, Amir Davarpanah, Mansour Fatehi, Rana Fattahi, Ahmad Reza Ghasemi Esfe, Maryam Golshan-Nameni, Mohammadali Habibi, Reza Habibi, Reza Hakimelahi, Saied Hojat, Keyanoosh Hosseinzadeh, Jalal Jalalshokouhi, Javad Jamshidi, Simin Jeddiyan, Shervin Kamalian, Ida Khalili, Hamid Mohazab, Amir Momtahen, Ali Nabavizadh, Sam Payabrash, Mohammad Reza Rezai, Pedram Rezai, Ali Sabri, Babak Shamshirsaz, Khalil Shirazi, Ali Shirkhoda, Asad Shohadai, Jamshid Tehranzadeh, Mehran Vaziri Bozorg, Arastoo Vossough, Vahid Yaghmai

Dr. Shirkhoda called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm.  He welcomed the guests from Iran.  The minutes of the 2008 meeting were approved.  He thanked Dr. Karim Rezai, our Webmaster, for his continuous care of the NAIRS website. 

Dr. Tehranzadeh gave the financial report on behalf of Dr. Raofi, who could not attend. 

Dr. Shirkhoda talked about his recent attendance at the Iranian Congress of Radiology (ICR) in Tehran and presented the preliminary schedule of the upcoming 2010 meeting (www.icr2010.ir). For 2010, Drs Bonakdarpour, Hoseinzadeh, Golzarian, Khalili, Mojibian, Shirkhoda and Shultz from USA and Canada have accepted the ICR invitation to attend as guest speakers. He emphasized on one of the missions of NAIRS in supporting and collaborating with our sister society in Iran and in helping those in training to pursue their research and publication goals. He invited Academic radiologists to encourage their residents to engage in joint projects with their Iranian counterparts. To reach this goal, Dr Shirkhoda volunteered to be a liaison in establishing connection between the interested parties in the USA and Iran (ashirkhoda@beaumont.edu). At the end, Dr Shirkhoda highlighted the accomplishments of residents and fellows of Iranian descent in the United States.

Dr. Mansoor Fatehi, president of the ICR 2009 and current Deputy President, Division of Education & Research of Iranian Society of Radiology (ISR), talked about the activities of the Iranian Radiological Society in Iran, and especially about the Iranian Journal of Radiology.  Dr Fatehi distributed several recent issues of that journal among audience. He asked for cooperation from his colleagues in the United States and especially the NAIRS members. He particularly requested those who are faculty members at academic institutions to assist in publishing articles in the Iranian Journal of Radiology by submitting their materials.  Due to competitive nature of radiology residency in Iran, Dr Fatehi indicated that top ranking graduates of medical schools are entering this profession so the new generation of Iranian radiologists is elite and smart intellectuals demanding more scientific support. Perhaps, such condition mandates more support and collaboration of NAIRS and ISR. Currently, NAIRS is providing support for the annual meeting of ISR by helping to invite outstanding international faculty and has been helpful in organizing courses for the annual meetings. However, it will be helpful if members of NAIRS help in circulating the information about research and education opportunities in their institutions and allow Iranian radiologists and residents to compete for such positions. In addition supervising and mentoring Iranian residents or young radiologists to be part of research inside Iran and guiding them in preparation of manuscripts and submissions is of tremendous help. These goals can be accomplished by electronic communications.

Dr. Jalalshokouhi, Secretary of the ISR and president of ICR 2011, talked about the various activities of the ISR, and invited members to attend the Iranian Congress of Radiology in 2010. He indicated that Radiology profession and Iranian Society of Radiology (ISR) have significantly changed over time.  ISR is one of the most active professional organizations in the region and also among other medical associations inside Iran. This society has considerably increased organizational, financial and infra-structure potentials.

Dr. Tehranzadeh acknowledged Dr. Bonakdarpour for his accomplishments as “the professor of all of us” and congratulated him on the publication of his new radiology textbook.

At the end, Dr Shirkhoda introduced Dr Javad Jamshidi as the executive committee’s nominee for the president elect of NAIRS. There was unanimous approval and he will be formally introduced during 2010 meeting.

The meeting adjourned at 9:30 pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Gholamali Afshang, M.D.