Dr. Rubinshtein is director of the Heart Institute at the Edith Wolfson Medical Center in Holon, Israel. His main clinical and research interests are interventional cardiology, endothelial function and advanced cardiac imaging, which includes both CT and MRI.

“Having more than one tool in your toolbox, although demanding, is especially rewarding, and this still injects interest and excitement to my career almost each and every day,” he said.

 He served as the general secretary (2015 - 2019) and is the incoming president elect of the Israel Heart Society. Within SCCT, he was chair of the Membership Committee (2019 - 2024) before leading the Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM) Committee (2025 - 2026).

Dr. Rubinshtein reflected on SCCT's evolution from proving cardiac CT accuracy to its current focus on clinical significance and pathophysiology, while highlighting the importance of maintaining the human element in the Society despite technological advancements.

“SCCT has begun with the notion that we need to prove that cardiac CT is accurate and has the right to be among the legitimate cardiac imaging modalities,” he said. “Later on, we proved that cardiac CT is highly useful and clinically meaningful with high prognostic value.”

“In the current era, we need to be able to show that we are not just a ‘machine-oriented’ society but part of a wider movement that is trying to unveil the pathophysiology of cardiac pathologies and provide pathways to modify disease progression and a clear scientific value for prevention and intervention.”

During his year as president, he said a top priority will be uniting those under the umbrella of this movement and creating a coalition spanning the global cardiovascular CT community, from cardiologists, radiologists and technologists to its advocates, sister societies and industry partners.

“In the rapidly changing atmosphere of health care, our society needs to adjust to new challenges and collaborate with all stakeholders to advance cardiovascular care through appropriate use of cardiac CT,” he explained.

He emphasized that although AI may be an inevitable part of the field’s evolution, he doesn’t see it replacing human interaction and connection, especially not within SCCT, where the community is its most valuable asset.

Photo courtesy of Ronen Rubinshtein

Dr. Rubinshtein enjoys traveling with his children — from left: Raz, Yuval and Yarden — pictured here hiking around Edinburgh, Scotland. “Our family trips always leave us with good memories.”

"In many ways what I'm looking forward to is the human component – being able to connect important thought leaders, staff, members, committee chairs, members of the Board of Directors and members our executive committee, etc. It's part of the way I see things working.”

He explained that while expanding the community, another focus will be to ensure SCCT remains the main professional reference for all aspects of cardiac CT, from education to advocacy, by allowing the best professional views and educational portfolio.

He said to do that, the Society needs to extend its reach and grow our international membership so that its resources, education and support are accessible to all medical and paramedical personnel involved with cardiac CT around the globe.

When asked about past leaders who inspired him, Dr. Rubinshtein said it was those who were able to guide the ship under storms, as he currently faces the rocky terrain ahead.

“I would say that with my years on the board of directors and then in the last five years in the Executive Committee, I’ve learned to appreciate those who are able to listen and to elegantly navigate all the opinions and try to consolidate an answer for a problem.”

During his time as Chair of one of the largest cardiology departments in Israel – with about 100 employees in his department – he has learned that a good habit is to listen to the many smart people around him, he said, and to embrace suggestions and advice that move the team forward, even if those ideas aren’t originally his.

“If we are all working towards the same direction and toward a mutual cause, we'll be able to find the common ground and to find the best solution for the problem,” he said.

“At least in my experience of the last almost 20 years in SCCT, we have a lot of problem-solving personalities within our leaders, staff and team. And sometimes there are problems — even if you're not looking for them, they're coming,” he said.

Dr. Rubinshtein succeeds Immediate Past President Kavitha Chinnaiyan, MD, MSCCT. Dr. Chinnaiyan is a cardiologist at Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital Heart & Vascular in Michigan.

SCCT thanks Dr. Chinnaiyan, as well as the 2025 - 2026 leadership team for their dedication and commitment.

Special thanks go to the members who rolled off the Board:

• Marcus Chen, MD
• Omar Khalique, MD, FSCCT
• Michelle Williams, MBChB, PhD, FSCCT

 SCCT is pleased to introduce the 2026 - 2027 SCCT Executive Committee:

• President: Ronen Rubinshtein, MD, MSCCT
• President-Elect: Kelley Branch, MD, MSc, FSCCT
• Immediate Past President: Kavitha Chinnaiyan, MD, MSCCT
• Vice President: Cristina Fuss, MD, PhD, FSCCT
• Treasurer: Ahmad Slim, MD, FSCCT
• Secretary: Barbara Srichai-Parsia, MD, MSCCT
• Member at Large: Pál Maurovich-Horvat, MD, PhD, MPH, FSCCT

SCCT 2026 - 2027 Board Members:

• Juan Batlle, MD, MBA, FSCCT
• Tim Fairbairn, MBChB, PhD, FRCP
• Sandeep Hedgire, MD, FSCCT
• Jill Jacobs, MD, FSCCT
• Dinesh Kalra, MD, FSCCT
• Lynne Koweek, MD, FSCCT
• Kanae Mukai, MD
• Ming-Yen Ng, MBBS, FSCCT
• Julie O’Brien, MD, FSCCT
• Mark Rabbat, MD, FSCCT
• Nikkole Weber, R.T. (R)(M)(CT)(ARRT) CSCCT
• Jonathan Weir-McCall, MBChB, PhD, FSCCT
• Pamela Woodard, MD, MSCCT

The SCCT Annual Scientific Meeting Program Committee is currently accepting abstracts through Friday, March 6.

Committee Chair and SCCT President-Elect Ronen Rubinshtein, MD, FACC, FESC, MSCCT said attendees can expect an unprecedented number of case-based sessions, expanded collaborations with sister societies — both national and international, including the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE), Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI) and North American Society of cardiovascular imaging (NASCI) — and sessions related to practical dilemmas and business aspects of cardiac CT.

“The SCCT Annual Scientific Meeting continues to be the prime conference on cardiac CT presenting a unique mix of world leaders and early and mid-career colleagues collaborating in an effort to generate an unforgettable experience,” he said. “This year we have a strong emphasis on the effect of our clinical work on the society with sessions dealing with environmental impact, societal aspects and disparities, as well as gender-based medicine.”

Dr. Rubinshtein said the meeting will offer cutting edge science and how-to sessions covering almost all aspects of cardiac CT, a diverse program which will emphasize novel technologies such as artificial intelligence and “an innovation parade from multiple industry partners,” he notes.

“Moreover, I am more excited this year about the significant involvement of the young generation in many of the sessions, opening the society doors to the future leaders of our field.”

Dr. Rubinshtein, director of the Heart Institute at the Edith Wolfson Medical Center in Holon, Israel, said that attendees will look forward to the usual fun-based sessions like Team Spirit, CT Jeopardy and Great Debates to “elevate our spirit and not just our knowledge,” with a beautiful backdrop of San Diego. “This year the conference venue is the brand new, family-oriented Gaylord Pacific Resort, offering a modern flavor to a great mix of science and fun in sunny California.”

When asked about highlights while organizing the meeting, he pointed to his committee co-chairs Kelley Branch, MD, MSc, FACC, FASE, FSCCT and Kavitha Chinnaiyan, MD, FACC, MSCCT; each of the 35 track chairs and the 30 remaining members on his team.

“Their enthusiasm and out-of-the-box ideas occasionally left me speechless,” he said. “The privilege to collaborate with so many leaders in the field with the fantastic support of our phenomenal SCCT staff made this process of organizing 34 sessions a joyful ride. Thanks everyone for a wonderful spirit of collaboration – it made me feel that nothing is impossible with this team.”

The SCCT Annual Scientific Meeting is designed to engage physicians, trainees, technologists and healthcare professionals in a complete overview of the cardiovascular CT field. Planned sessions are targeted for all levels — from new practitioners to experienced providers. Sessions also range from general overviews to state-of-the-art research and expert discussions.

Sessions will cover topics such as structural heart disease, congenital heart disease, guidelines and trials, AI/machine learning, technical aspects of cardiac CT, coronary artery disease and valvular heart disease.

Registration for the meeting is also open.

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About the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography

Founded in 2005, the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) is the international professional society devoted to improving health outcomes through effective use of cardiovascular computed tomography (CCT). SCCT is a community of physicians, scientists and technologists from over 100 countries advocating for access, research, education and clinical excellence in the use of CCT. For more information, please visit https://scct.org.

About the 21st Annual Scientific Meeting of SCCT (SCCT2026)

SCCT2026 – the preeminent meeting focused on cardiovascular CT – will be held July 9 - 12, 2026 in San Diego, California. The SCCT Annual Scientific Meeting is designed to engage physicians, trainees, technologists and healthcare professionals in a complete overview of the cardiovascular CT field. Planned sessions are targeted for all levels, from new practitioners to experienced providers. Sessions range from general overviews to state-of-the-art research and expert discussions. For more information, please visit https://scct.org/SCCT2026.

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The SCCT Best Abstract Award – supported by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation of Southern California (CVRF of So. Ca.) and the Ma Family, who provided a $5,000 monetary award for the winner – is open to all abstracts submitted to the ASM, which included 216 accepted manuscripts as part of the 2025 conference.

Six finalists and three winners of the Best Abstract Award are determined by receiving overall top scores through a three-round scoring process by an independent judging panel led by Mouaz Al-Mallah, MD, MSc, FSCCT.

The SCCT 19^th Annual Young Investigator Awards program – supported by Canon Medical Systems USA, Inc. – aids the professional and clinical development of top radiology residents and cardiology fellows within five years of completing a training program.

Authors of the two top-scoring abstracts for each award presented during the SCCT2025 Best Original Science session and winners were announced in front of an SCCT member audience.

Joel Lenell, MD, PhD is winner of the SCCT Best Abstract Award for his submission, his submission, “Intensive Medical Treatment Reduces Non-calcified Coronary Plaque Composition In Women With Non-obstructive Coronary Artery Disease: Insights From Ai-enabled Plaque Analysis In The Warrior Ancillary Serial Study.”

Ravi Chotalia, MBBS, BSc received Best Abstract first runner-up after presenting his abstract, “Is It Safe To Defer Revascularisation In Asymptomatic Patients With Chronic Coronary Syndrome With Ffr-Positive Stenoses?”

Second runner-up is Tu Tran, MBBS, BMedSci (Hons) for his abstract, “Re-stratifying Cardiovascular Risk With Non-Calcified Plaque Volume: A Pilot Analysis Using Data From The BioHEART Study.”

Prior to the conference, an independent panel of judges led by Todd C. Villines, MD, MSCCT selected two YIA winners.

Phyo Khaing, MBChB, BMedSci, of University of Edinburgh, is the 2025 YIA winner for her abstract, "Coronary CT Angiography Versus Cardiovascular Risk Score For Lifestyle And Risk Factor Modification In Primary Prevention Of Cardiovascular Disease: SCOT-HEART2 Impact Study.”

First runner-up for the YIA is Prerna Singh, BS, of Case Western Reserve University, for her abstract, “Low-density Coronary Calcium Below The Agatston Threshold On CT Calcium Scoring Independently Predicts MACE Risk: Insights From CLARIFY And SCOT-HEART.”

Along with a monetary award, YIA winners receive a plaque, one-year free membership to SCCT and free registration for SCCT2026, to be held July 9 - 12, 2026 in San Diego, California.

All YIA and Best Abstract finalist manuscripts will be published in the SCCT2025 supplement of Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (JCCT).

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About the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography

Founded in 2005, the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) is the international professional society devoted to improving health outcomes through effective use of cardiovascular computed tomography (CCT), with members from over 85 countries. SCCT is a community of physicians, scientists and technologists advocating for access, research, education and clinical excellence in the use of CCT. For more information, please visit https://scct.org/.

About the 20th Annual Scientific Meeting of SCCT (SCCT2025)

SCCT2025 – the preeminent meeting focused on cardiovascular CT – will be held July 17 - 20, 2025 in Montreal, Canada. The SCCT Annual Scientific Meeting is designed to engage physicians, trainees, technologists and healthcare professionals in a complete overview of the cardiovascular CT field. Planned sessions are targeted for all levels, from new practitioners to experienced providers. Sessions range from general overviews to state-of-the-art research and expert discussions. For more information, please visit https://scct.org/SCCT2025.

About the Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography

The Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (JCCT) is a peer-review journal of the SCCT that integrates the international cardiovascular CT community and addresses a broad range of topics affecting cardiovascular CT imaging. The journal’s major focus is on original research and on the clinical and technical aspects of cardiovascular CT. For more information, please visit www.journalofcardiovascularct.com.

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An independent panel of judges selected six radiology and cardiology trainees as finalists for the 2025 SCCT 19th Annual Young Investigator Awards (YIA), supported by an educational grant from Canon Medical Systems USA, Inc.

The YIA program supports the professional and clinical development of top radiology residents and cardiology fellows within five years of completing a training program.

“Now in its 19th year, this program formally introduces promising emerging thought leaders to the field,” said Todd C. Villines, MD, MSCCT, chair of the YIA judging panel. “We invite the entire cardiovascular CT community to join us online next month for a free front-row seat to cutting-edge, high-quality cardiovascular CT research.”

The following finalists will virtually present their abstracts before an independent panel of judges and SCCT member audience on Monday, June 2, at 12:30pm ET:

• Kenneth Chan, MBBS
  Coronary inflammation predicts cardiac risk in patients with no and moderate coronary calcification
• Christos Gkizas, MD, PhD
  Photon-counting CT for the evaluation of myocardial fibrosis in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: A comparison with MRI
• Phyo Khaing, MBChB, BMedSci
  Coronary CT angiography versus cardiovascular risk score for lifestyle and risk factor modification in primary prevention of cardiovascular disease: SCOT-HEART2 impact study
• Harendra Kumar, MBBS
  AI-based automated detection of coronary artery calcium: Accuracy and clinical utility
• Ruben Mora, MD
  Semaglutide therapy and reduction of left ventricular mass in patients with type 2 diabetes: A STOP trial substudy
• Prerna Singh, BS
  Low-density coronary calcium below the Agatston threshold on CT calcium scoring independently predicts MACE risk: Insights from CLARIFY and SCOT-HEART

Registration for the free online event is available on SCCT's website.

2025 Best Abstract Award

The Best Abstract Award Committee selected six finalists for the SCCT Best Abstract Award, supported by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation of Southern California (CVRF of So. Ca.) and the Ma Family, who have provided a $5,000 award for the winner.

The following six finalists will virtually present their manuscripts before an independent panel of judges and SCCT member audience on Thursday, June 12, at 11:30am ET:

• Carrie Burns
  Shift change: Utilization of coronary CTA for cardiovascular risk screening in firefighters
• Felipe Castillo
  Association between long-term fine particulate air pollution exposure and cardiac CT coronary artery calcium scores
• Ravi Chotalia
  Is it safe to defer revascularisation in asymptomatic patients with chronic coronary syndrome with FFR-positive stenoses?
• Joel Lenell
  Intensive medical treatment reduces non-calcified coronary plaque composition in women with non-obstructive coronary artery disease: Insights from AI-enabled plaque analysis in the Warrior Ancillary Serial Study
• Anna Mueller
  Refining cardiovascular risk: reducing events using imaging-based treatment strategies
• Tu Hao Tran
  Re-stratifying cardiovascular risk with non-calcified plaque volume: A pilot analysis using data from the BioHEART Study

Registration for the free online event is available on SCCT's website.

Authors of the two top-scoring abstracts for each award will present their research and winners will be announced at the SCCT2025 Best Original Science session on Saturday, July 19, at 11:30am ET.

Each YIA finalist will receive one-year free membership to SCCT. YIA finalists and the Best Abstract winner and runners up receive complimentary registration for SCCT2026, to be held July 9 - 12, 2026 in San Diego, Calif. Along with a cash prize, each award winner will have their manuscript published in the Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (JCCT).

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About the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography

Founded in 2005, the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) is the international professional society devoted to improving health outcomes through effective use of cardiovascular computed tomography (CCT). SCCT is a community of physicians, scientists and technologists from over 85 countries advocating for access, research, education and clinical excellence in the use of CCT. For more information, please visit https://scct.org.

About the 20th Annual Scientific Meeting of SCCT (SCCT2025)

SCCT2025 – the preeminent meeting focused on cardiovascular CT – will be held July 17 - 20, 2025 in Montréal, Canada. The SCCT Annual Scientific Meeting is designed to engage physicians, trainees, technologists and healthcare professionals in a complete overview of the cardiovascular CT field. Planned sessions are targeted for all levels, from new practitioners to experienced providers. Sessions range from general overviews to state-of-the-art research and expert discussions. For more information, please visit https://scct.org/SCCT2025.

About the Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography

The Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (JCCT) is a peer-review journal of the SCCT that integrates the international cardiovascular CT community and addresses a broad range of topics affecting cardiovascular CT imaging. The journal’s major focus is on original research and on the clinical and technical aspects of cardiovascular CT. For more information, please visit www.journalofcardiovascularct.com.

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Business Aspects of Cardiac CT provides up-to-date advice on running a cardiac CT program, information on advocacy and regulation, and data on cost effectiveness of cardiac CT, according to JCCT Editor-in-Chief Armin Zadeh, MD, PhD, MPH, MSCCT.

“My heartfelt gratitude goes to Dr. Ahmad Slim, who served as the chief guest editor, and to SCCT CEO Joanne Olson, Dr. Jonathan Leipsic, and Dr. Edward Nicol, who contributed to this special focus issue as guest editors,” wrote Dr. Zadeh in the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) journal’s January/February issue introduction. 

“The response to the special focus issue announcement was overwhelming and not all submissions could be included. Exceeding our expectations, we included 16 excellent papers for this issue. I am confident that readers will derive much valuable information from this effort and it is our hope that these contributions will advance the business case for cardiac CT.”

Chief Guest Editor Ahmad M. Slim, MD, FSCCT explained the special focus issue is intended to be a comprehensive toolkit and educational supplement for imagers to understand the business aspect of medicine with a focus on cardiovascular imaging to build new programs or expand existing programs while focusing on quality, efficiency and financial success.

The idea for this Special Focus Issue topic originated from Immediate Past President Ed Nicol, MD, MBA, MSCCT, during his presidency.

“Whilst the underpinning science for cardiovascular CT reducing cardiovascular morbidity and mortality is extremely robust, and supported by large randomised control trials and real world studies, this is for nought if practitioners and providers cannot set up, justify and deliver cardiovascular CT from a business perspective,” said Dr. Nicol. 

“This special focus starts a process of providing both qualitative and quantitative data and commentary from thought leaders focused on the business aspects of cardiovascular CT that supports SCCT's mission of wider access to cardiovascular CT, delivered by a clinical and business-aware community." 

The list of articles includes:

• Establishing a Successful Cardiovascular Computed Tomography Service: financial and regulatory challenges facing radiologists and cardiologists
• Coding and Coverage for Cardiac CT in the Era of Algorithm-based Healthcare Procedures and Services
• Variability in Technical Fee Billing for Cardiac CT Across Congenital Cardiac Centers
• SCCT Health Policy and Advocacy Efforts
• Cost-effectiveness of ultra high-resolution photon-counting detector coronary CT angiography for the evaluation of stable chest pain
• Impact of an Institutional Process Change Adopting End-Systolic Coronary CTA Acquisition and Automated Dose Selection on Patient Throughput and Image Quality
• Disrupting Diastole Toward Consistency in Systole: Iterations to Increase CCTA Protocol Standardization
• Resource utilization and healthcare management of invasive versus non-invasive strategy for Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy Surveillance in Heart Transplantation
• Cardiac CT in the Context of Value-Based Care
• Cardiac CT Angiography: Financial Implications of Different Practice Types
• How Cardiac Computed Tomography Angiography and Positron Emission Tomography Play Complementary Roles in a Practice's Business Model
• Unlocking the Gates: Uptake of Cardiac CT and Barriers to Wider Adoption Among Primary Care Providers
• Non-Invasive Imaging Innovation: FFR-CT combined with plaque characterization, Safeguarding Your Cardiac Health
• The RUCkus Around Plaque
• Redefining CAV Surveillance Strategies: benefits of CCTA vs. ICA
• Regional and Socioeconomic Disparities in Calcium Scans 

Along with the special focus issue – available open access through October 2025 – SCCT provided a collection of tools and resources to support imagers in their business aspect ventures, including an upcoming JCCT Pulse podcast episode, dedicated Business Aspects topic forum, up-to-date coding and billing resources, and the SCCT Starter Kit, created in 2023 to help providers plan, launch and operate a cardiac CT service.

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About the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography
Founded in 2005, the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) is the international professional society devoted to improving health outcomes through effective use of cardiovascular computed tomography (CCT), with members from over 85 countries. SCCT is a community of physicians, scientists and technologists advocating for access, research, education and clinical excellence in the use of CCT. For more information, please visit https://scct.org/.

About the Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography  
The Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (JCCT) is a peer-review journal of the SCCT that integrates the international cardiovascular CT community and addresses a broad range of topics affecting cardiovascular CT imaging. The journal’s major focus is on original research and on the clinical and technical aspects of cardiovascular CT. For more information, please visit www.journalofcardiovascularct.com.  

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Meet the #SCCT2025 social ambassadors and follow along as they highlight sessions and share key takeaways each day of the Annual Scientific Meeting.

Connect on social media

Join the digital conversation by using the #SCCT2025 hashtag on your LinkedIn, Instagram, Bluesky and Facebook timelines. Post about your favorite speakers and sessions. Share photos that celebrate the meeting’s impact.

Follow SCCT:

• Bluesky @scct-heart.bsky.social

• Instagram @scct_heart

• Facebook @SCCTheart

• LinkedIn /company/society-of-cardiovascular-computed-tomography

• X @Heart_SCCT

Best Image Contest

Compete in the Best Image Contest by using the hashtags #SCCT2025 and #yesCCT.

Our judges are the 2024 Best Tweet Contest winners, Kanwal Farooqi, Michael Gannon and Patrycja Galazka. They will be looking for social media posts with interesting educational or research pearls related to cardiac CT imaging from scientific sessions, as well as visual appeal and high engagement.

Prizes:

• 1st: Complimentary SCCT2026 registration and SCCT branded items
• 2nd and 3rd: Complimentary online access to new Board Review Q and A Book and SCCT branded items

The cardiac CT industry’s top medical device companies invite attendees to connect via networking opportunities, like breakfast or lunch symposia, workshops, sessions and user meetings, or to stop by their booths, where they’ll feature the latest solutions, platforms and server-side tools – including in dual source, photon-counting CT and AI-driven software.

SCCT asked its 2025 industry partners — Circle Cardiovascular Imaging, Cleerly, Elucid, GE HealthCare, Heartflow and Siemens Healthineers — to share why they chose to partner with SCCT. Below are their responses, along with the top products, updates and sponsored talks they’ll showcase in Montréal.

Circle Cardiovascular Imaging | Booth 315

Circle’s mission to empower efficient and reliable decision-making through advanced imaging closely aligns with SCCT’s focus on closing knowledge and practice gaps through expert-led education. As cardiovascular disease continues to place a growing burden on healthcare systems, the shared goal is to equip providers with the tools and insights necessary to diagnose and treat patients with greater precision, ultimately improving outcomes and advancing the standard of care.

To be featured at SCCT2025 in Montréal:

• Structural heart – Fast and effective planning tools for structural heart interventions that support preparation for left atrial appendage closure, as well as aortic and mitral valve replacement, through a specialized CT workflow. Accurately measure, visualize and report findings to support the best clinical decisions for your patients.
• CT functional analysis – Comprehensive AI-driven server-side pre-processing and 3D-based segmentation, enables faster and more accurate analysis of heart function.
• CT plaque analysis* – Circle’s CT plaque analysis is an AI-powered, clinician-operated software solution that enables on-site plaque quantification and characterization, without relying on third-party services. Fully integrated into the clinical workflow, it provides fast, secure and actionable insights at the point of care, empowering clinicians with greater control and efficiency in coronary artery disease assessment. *CT plaque analysis is not cleared for clinical use in the USA

Press contact:

marketing@circlecvi.com

About:

Circle Cardiovascular Imaging is a global leader in advanced cardiovascular imaging solutions. Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Canada, Circle is driven by a singular mission: to empower healthcare providers with innovative tools that enhance imaging analysis and improve patient outcomes. With cutting-edge AI and streamlined workflows, our solutions are trusted by leading institutions worldwide. Our relentless commitment to innovation, precision, and clinical impact is what fuels our success, and helps clinicians deliver the best possible care.

Cleerly | Booth 505

“Each year, SCCT brings together the leading physicians and scientists in cardiovascular imaging, and we are proud to be part of a community so deeply committed to advancing the care of patients with suspected or known heart disease. We look forward to sharing how our innovations — including Cleerly ISCHEMIA – an AI-based device for comprehensive assessment of vessels and lesions that cause ischemia, and Cleerly COMPARE, a first-of-its-kind tool for physicians to quantitatively assess plaque progression — are helping to transform cardiovascular care. We invite attendees to join us for 'Seeing more of what matters,' our AI-powered CT workshop in partnership with SCCT, where they can experience firsthand how these technologies are shaping the future of cardiovascular imaging.”

— James Min, MD, MSCCT, Founder and CEO of Cleerly

To be featured at SCCT2025 in Montréal:

• Cleerly’s AI-powered CT Workshop – “Seeing more of what matters” — will showcase AI-driven solutions including Cleerly ISCHEMIA, COMPARE and advanced plaque analysis. Hosted in the Palais de Congres alongside SCCT2025 on Thursday, July 17 from 5 - 8pm with complementary dinner, this interactive session will feature live case reviews, guided hands-on training, and real-time challenges led by expert clinicians.
• Cleerly COMPARE – The first-of-its-kind tool that allows physicians to track plaque progression between CCTA scans. COMPARE supports more informed, personalized care decisions by providing detailed insights into plaque changes over time, aligned with the latest chest pain guidelines.
• Cleerly ISCHEMIA, integrated with Cleerly LABS, is an AI-driven solution that enhances coronary artery disease assessment and guides decisions around coronary interventions. Validated in the CREDENCE and PACIFIC-1 studies, it delivers highly accurate, non-invasive insights from a single CCTA scan. Patients with abnormal Cleerly ISCHEMIA findings had a nearly sevenfold increase in adverse cardiovascular events over eight years^1-2.

Press Contact:

Christy Sievert, press@cleerlyhealth.com

Reference List

1. Nurmohamed NS, Danad I, Jukema RA, et al. High Diagnostic Accuracy of AI-ISCHEMIA in Comparison to PET, FFR-CT, SPECT, and Invasive FFR: A Pacific Substudy. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2023 Mar, 81 (8_Supplement) 1362.
2. Nurmohamed NS, Danad I, Jukema RA, de Winter RW, de Groot RJ, Driessen RS, Bom MJ, van Diemen P, Pontone G, Andreini D, Chang HJ, Katz RJ, Stroes ESG, Wang H, Chan C, Crabtree T, Aquino M, Min JK, Earls JP, Bax JJ, Choi AD, Knaapen P, van Rosendael AR; CREDENCE and PACIFIC-1 Investigators. Development and Validation of a Quantitative Coronary CT Angiography Model for Diagnosis of Vessel-Specific Coronary Ischemia. JACC Cardiovasc Imaging. 2024 Aug;17(8):894-906. doi: 10.1016/j.jcmg.2024.01.007. Epub 2024 Mar 13.

About:

Cleerly is the company on a mission to eliminate heart attacks by creating a new standard of care for heart disease. Through its FDA-cleared solutions driven by artificial intelligence, Cleerly supports comprehensive phenotyping of coronary artery disease, as determined from advanced noninvasive CT imaging. Cleerly’s approach is grounded in science, based on millions of images from over 40,000 patients. Led by a world-class clinical and technical team, Cleerly enhances health literacy for each and every stakeholder in the coronary care pathway. For more information, please visit: cleerlyhealth.com.

Elucid | Booth 215

"Elucid seeks to lead the evolution in diagnostics for coronary artery disease through CT Virtual Histology™, enabling histology-based plaque analysis and AI-derived FFR-CT prediction from plaque characteristics. Our vision is to empower precision medicine and patient-specific treatment pathways with the most accurate and comprehensive solutions available, to help inform lesion, vessel and patient level risk. The SCCT Annual Scientific meeting is a uniquely focused and science-driven meeting that allows for deeper, more effective collaboration to truly make inspiring progress in our field and improve patient outcomes. We are proud to support the SCCT mission."

— Kelly Huang, PhD, President and CEO of Elucid

To be featured at SCCT2025 in Montréal:

• Heartflow is advancing coronary care by transforming coronary artery disease into a screenable, diagnosable and manageable condition. Heartflow is proud to be joining the cardiovascular CT community at SCCT2025 for our 15th consecutive year. Heartflow has been adopted by more than 1,400 institutions globally and has helped clinicians manage over 400,000 patients worldwide.
• Heartflow One is the only complete, non-invasive, precision coronary care platform providing patient insights throughout the guideline-directed CCTA pathway. The AI-driven platform – including RoadMap™ Analysis, FFR_CT Analysis and Plaque Analysis – is supported by the ACC/AHA Chest Pain Guideline and backed by more than 600 peer-reviewed publications.
• Heartflow Plaque Analysis offers physicians comprehensive and actionable data with plaque characteristics and volume in major coronary arteries. Heartflow is generating prospective clinical evidence on the real-world impact of Plaque Analysis in the DECIDE Registry, the largest prospective registry of its kind. The primary endpoint for this registry will be presented at SCCT2025, highlighting changes in medical management after Heartflow Plaque Analysis.

Press contact:

media@heartflow.com

Siemens Healthineers | Booth 311

“Siemens Healthineers shares SCCT’s mission to improve health outcomes through effective use of cardiovascular CT. Our innovative technologies across a broad portfolio of CT scanners are designed to optimize workflow efficiency and provide consistent, high-quality images. As the role of cardiovascular CT expands, we strive to empower customers in every setting — from outpatient centers to academic and research hospitals — to offer high quality cardiovascular imaging by making high-end technology accessible to all.”

— Matthew Dedman, Vice President of Computed Tomography at Siemens Healthineers North America

"This is the first time that SCCT has hosted a Global Meeting in Asia, so I think this is a big moment for us in the Asian continent,” said Program Committee Chair Ming-Yen Ng, MBBS, FRCR, FSCCT, clinical associate professor at the Department of Diagnostic Radiology, The University of Hong Kong. “Designing the program was an amazing opportunity to focus on the interests and needs of the Asian region.”

Dr. Ng, SCCT Future Leaders Program graduate and Board of Directors member, explained that this regionally tailored education and industry focus is why the annual Global Meeting is an invaluable resource to be shared across the world, as well as why he’s eager to bring this meeting to Hong Kong.

“With the extensive knowledge and experience of the SCCT faculty, I'm excited to share that expertise here in Asia and give a boost to advancing the use of cardiac CT,” he said. “It's also a great opportunity for many of my Asian colleagues to be introduced to the Society and get involved.”

On the flipside, it’s a great opportunity for the Society to get to know the cardiac imaging community in Asia, he explained.

“It's important to have a wide representation within SCCT from Asia, because they will be able to bring their viewpoints and their experiences, which can then be shared with the greater community,” he said. “It allows all of us to grow and learn more and to be able to support one another.”

“By hosting the Global Meeting in Hong Kong, we hope the imaging community will see SCCT is here to support and collaborate and to learn from our Asian colleagues, whose diverse experience can bring valuable insights."

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

The annual SCCT Global Meeting focuses on innovation in cardiovascular CT, while combining original scientific contributions and clinically oriented lectures divided into focused sessions covering a variety of subjects.

Leading experts in the field of cardiovascular CT and cardiovascular medicine from around the globe will discuss the current state of cardiovascular CT and the role it will play in 2026 and beyond. Topics will include broadening clinical application, updates on technical optimization and discussion of current and future innovation and research in this rapidly evolving field.

"The main conference program will be bringing in experts from around the world to Hong Kong, and we will cover the current hot topics of AI and machine learning in cardiac CT, preventive cardiology, cutting edge cardiac CT techniques, as well as a panel discussion on cardiac CT services allowing us to discuss different models of cardiac CT services around the world."

Dr. Ng noted that this panel discussion, scheduled to wrap up the meeting, will include faculty from the U.S., U.K., Israel, Hong Kong and Singapore on the topic of safety, quality and efficiency in cardiac CT services.

“That sharing will be really interesting – to hear how various other nations run their cardiac CT services and compare notes – because every nation or city faces different challenges and also different cultural expectations.”

“Taking place prior to that on Saturday, Jan 24 is a full day workshop training technologists or radiographers on their knowledge and skills in acquiring high quality cardiac CT scans,” he said. “We are very fortunate to have Nikkole Weber, RT(R)(CT), CSCCT from the Mayo Clinic flying over to lead this workshop as well as having local technologists/radiographers to guide the conversations and teach the delegates.”

Along with these events, Dr. Ng highlighted the pre-conference workshops, which can be attended as standalone events or in addition to the Global Meeting. To be held Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, these workshops will focus on advanced post-processing software to perform FFR_CT, plaque quantification and peri-coronary fat attenuation analysis, as well as the mitral valve and left atrial appendage occlusion workshop.

All abstracts from SCCT Global 2026 | Hong Kong will be available in a special supplement of the Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (JCCT).

Registration and more information are available on the SCCT website.

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About the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography

Founded in 2005, the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) is the international professional society devoted to improving health outcomes through effective use of cardiovascular computed tomography (CCT). SCCT is a community of physicians, scientists and technologists from over 85 countries advocating for access, research, education and clinical excellence in the use of CCT. For more information, please visit https://scct.org.

About the Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography

The Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (JCCT) is a peer-review journal of the SCCT that integrates the international cardiovascular CT community and addresses a broad range of topics affecting cardiovascular CT imaging. The journal’s major focus is on original research and on the clinical and technical aspects of cardiovascular CT. For more information, please visit www.journalofcardiovascularct.com.

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The Society is accepting applications through April 30, 2025 for research projects that highlight and improve gaps in our understanding of cardiac and vascular physiology, specifically in women, incorporating CCTA imaging.

According to Dr. Chinnaiyan, the award aims to address two different disparities: the study of CVD in women — which she described as historically problematic in the exclusion of women in clinical trials, despite it being the leading cause of death in women in North American and Europe — and the participation and recognition of women researchers in cardiovascular studies and imaging.

"This award really brings together these two disparities and addresses them both," she said. "I am very optimistic that this award will encourage an expanded plate of opportunities for those doing this kind of research within our field, as well as for understanding physiology and the natural history of CVD in women and the differential effect of medications and therapeutic interventions in women."

Dr. Chinnaiyan explained that the inspiration for the award came from the realization that only three out of nearly 40 SCCT award recipients in the past 15 years were women, despite their significant contributions to the field.

"For younger colleagues that I have mentored, for my peers, and the next generation of researchers, my hope for this award is to amplify these historically women-led areas of focus and not only introduce them to the field of cardiac imaging, but for it to potentially double up on its own and expand into a more substantial conversation of up-and-coming hot topics centered around women’s health."

The award is intended to support new studies or early stages of ongoing studies, with an aim to provide recognition, visibility and seed funding for research projects.

This award is principally supported by Kavitha Chinnaiyan, MD, MSCCT and Arul Chinnaiyan, MD, PhD. Additional support provided by Anjali Chelliah, MD, FSCCT; Maros Ferencik, MD, PhD, MSCCT; Cristina Fuss, MD, FSCCT; Jill Jacobs, MD, MS-HQSM, FSCCT; Omar Khalique, MD, FSCCT; Ronen Rubinshtein, MD, FSCCT; Ahmad Slim, MD, FSCCT and Eric Williamson, MD, PhD, MSCCT.

The winner will be announced at SCCT2025, the Society’s 20th Annual Scientific Meeting, to be held July 17 - 20 in Montréal, Canada, where they will receive complementary registration, travel reimbursement, three-nights’ accommodations and a plaque.

The recipient will be recognized with a recorded webcast.

Learn more and apply on the SCCT website.

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About the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography
Founded in 2005, the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) is the international professional society devoted to improving health outcomes through effective use of cardiovascular computed tomography (CCT). SCCT is a community of physicians, scientists and technologists from over 85 countries advocating for access, research, education and clinical excellence in the use of CCT. For more information, please visit https://scct.org/.

About the 20th Annual Scientific Meeting of SCCT (SCCT2025) 
SCCT2025 – the preeminent meeting focused on cardiovascular CT – will be held July 17 - 20, 2025 in Montreal, Canada. The SCCT Annual Scientific Meeting is designed to engage physicians, trainees, technologists and healthcare professionals in a complete overview of the cardiovascular CT field. Planned sessions are targeted for all levels, from new practitioners to experienced providers. Sessions range from general overviews to state-of-the-art research and expert discussions. For more information, please visit https://scct.org/SCCT2025.

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• How it all started: The road to the first ever SCCT annual meeting 
• On the shoulders of giants: Early technology - How cardiac CT came about 
• Evolving data that put cardiac CT on the map: landmark trials you should know 
• Cardiac CT in clinical practice guidelines (out in the open and somewhat hidden): where we are today and what to expect in the near future 
• 20 years in the making and still fresh: Looking to the future of SCCT

LOOKING BACK

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Amsterdam, the Netherlands (Feb. 20, 2025) — The Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) hosted its Global Meeting in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, from February 6 to 7, 2025, receiving a record 80 abstract submissions as part of the conference.

“It is my honor to welcome the cardiac imaging community to the Netherlands and the beautiful city of Amsterdam,” said Program Committee Chair and Past President Koen Nieman, MD, PhD, MSCCT. “SCCT extends its congratulations to the winners of the Best Abstract and Rapid Fire awards for their exceptional work pushing the field of cardiovascular CT forward.”

The distinguished panel of six judges awarded Melinda Boussoussou, MD, PhD with Best Abstract for her submission, “Comparison Of Photon-counting Detector CT And Energy-integrating Detector CT For Detecting Obstructive Coronary Artery Disease.”

Selected as top among the meeting’s 14 highest scored abstracts, her study compared photon-counting detector (PCD)-CT and energy-integrating detector (EID)-CT for detecting 50-70% stenosis, using invasive coronary angiography (ICA) as the reference. Her team found that the PCD-CT system demonstrates superior per-vessel and per-segment diagnostic accuracy in detecting obstructive CAD in symptomatic patients compared to those scanned with EID-CTs.

The Rapid Fire Case Presentations featured 5-minute talks from five finalists whose abstracts received the highest reviewer scores. The judging committee – led by Maros Ferencik, MD, PhD, MCR, MSCCT and Armin Zadeh, MD, PhD, MPH, MSCCT – selected winners based on originality, execution, presentation, SCCT relevance and impact.

Jorge Dahdal, MD received the top Rapid Fire score with his presentation, “Prognostic Comparison Of Coronary Calcium Score And CCTA-derived Plaque Burden In Symptomatic Patients.” Tsung-Ying Tsai, MD was the Rapid Fire runner-up with his abstract, "FFRCT Derived Coronary Physiological Pattern And Graft Patency In The FASTTRACK CABG Trial.” 

All awardees received a certificate and complimentary registration to a future SCCT educational event. 

All abstracts from SCCT Global 2025 | Amsterdam are available in a special supplement of the Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (JCCT).

The annual SCCT Global Meeting focuses on innovation in cardiovascular CT, while combining original scientific contributions and clinically oriented lectures divided into focused sessions covering a variety of subjects.

Leading experts in the field of cardiovascular CT and cardiovascular medicine from around the globe covered the current state of cardiovascular CT and the role it will play in 2025 and beyond. Topics included broadening clinical application, updates on technical optimization and discussion of current and future innovation and research in this rapidly evolving field.

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About the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography
Founded in 2005, the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) is the international professional society devoted to improving health outcomes through effective use of cardiovascular computed tomography (CCT), with members from over 85 countries. SCCT is a community of physicians, scientists and technologists advocating for access, research, education and clinical excellence in the use of CCT. For more information, please visit https://scct.org/.
 
About the Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography  
The Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (JCCT) is a peer-review journal of the SCCT that integrates the international cardiovascular CT community and addresses a broad range of topics affecting cardiovascular CT imaging. The journal’s major focus is on original research and on the clinical and technical aspects of cardiovascular CT. For more information, please visit www.journalofcardiovascularct.com.  

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ARLINGTON, VA (SEPTEMBER 10, 2024) The Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) is pleased to welcome Maros Ferencik, MD, PhD, MCR, MSCCT as he begins his term as SCCT President, as well as the new 2024 - 2025 Executive Committee and Board members.

Dr. Ferencik is professor of Medicine and Radiology, section head of Cardiovascular Imaging, at Oregon Health & Sciences University, who has published over 300 papers, book chapters, abstracts and other scientific contributions, with many presentations at major scientific meetings worldwide.

A founding member of the Society, Dr. Ferencik began his path to president as the inaugural chair of the SCCT Fellows and Residents in Training (FiRST) Committee in 2012. He then became chair of the Membership Committee in 2019, and later served on the Education Committee before being elected to the Executive Committee.

He has been a pivotal contributor to studies exploring the application of CT imaging in assessing coronary artery disease, coronary atherosclerotic plaque, evaluating myocardial infarction and stratifying cardiovascular risk.

He has participated in the evaluation and assessment of cardiac CT in large multicenter clinical trials (ROMICAT I and II, PROMISE, Framingham Heart Study) with the focus on detection and characterization of high-risk coronary atherosclerosis, assessment of coronary calcium, improvement of the diagnostic accuracy of CT for the diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome and prognosis of future cardiovascular events.

He said a crucial moment for his career was at the very beginning of it: when he joined the imaging program at Massachusetts General Hospital in Harvard Medical School, working alongside cardiac CT pioneers, SCCT past presidents and award recipients such as Stephan Achenbach, MD, MSCCT; Koen Nieman, MD, PhD, MSCCT; Udo Hoffmann, MD, MPH; Tom Brady, MD; Suhny Abbara, MD, MSCCT; Ricardo Cury, MD, MSCCT; and others.

"I joined the group in Spring of 2002 when cardiac CT was becoming 'a thing.' That's really where cardiac CT started, and I was lucky to join the group that was at that point bringing this modality to the United States."

During his year as president, he plans to pay it forward by helping the Society’s junior members, prioritizing efforts in mentorship, education and collaborative support for the next generation of cardiac imagers.

“I really benefitted from people helping me to get active in the Society, to become an engaged member, so I look forward to creating pathways that further enhance engagement of our junior members.”

Other priorities include expanding the Society’s geographic reach to global communities outside the U.S. and Europe, where most members reside, as well as creating and enhancing SCCT’s educational offerings to align with member needs.

Advocating for fair reimbursement and distribution of resources will also be at the forefront of Dr. Ferencik’s presidential term, along with ensuring the Society provides a diverse representation within issues such as potential new pathways to cardiology certification through the new American Board of Cardiovascular Medicine.

“We'll have to navigate these waters and make sure that, for those who are in cardiology, we are fairly and well represented at the level of the American College of Cardiology (ACC). And for our members that are also certified in cardiology, provide a training pathway that's supportive of their needs, whether it's in CT or in other imaging modalities,” he said.

“At the same time, what is very important for our society is to also take into account that we have members from radiology, and non-cardiologists and non-radiologists who perform cardiovascular CT. We are a society that represents all of them, so to make sure that while we are making changes to the board exams or training requirements, this reflects the needs of all our members, not only cardiologists.”

He said he looks forward to meeting as many members as possible, in addition to traveling and representing such a diverse and evolving community at conferences with sister societies.

“In my training and my background, because I am a multimodality imager, I understand and feel strongly that we need to have a collaborative relationship with all the other imaging societies so we can best serve our members – practicing physicians who use different imaging modalities – and ultimately serve our mission: to provide the best cardiovascular CT or other imaging services for our patients.”

Dr. Ferencik succeeds Immediate Past President Ed Nicol, MD, MBA, MSCCT. Dr. Nicol is honorary consultant at both the Royal Brompton and Chelsea & Westminster Hospitals.

In his farewell address published in the Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (JCCT), Dr. Nicol reflects on his year-long term, with an underlying focus on promoting cardiovascular CT as a tool to improve population health, especially amongst those who have least access to healthcare.

During his time as President, he created and amplified awareness surrounding the business aspects of cardiovascular CT, with projects such as the planned special supplement of JCCT led by guest editors Ahmad Slim, MD, FSCCT and Jonathon Leipsic, MD, MSCCT, and the mapping cardiac CT project that will highlight gaps in delivery in the U.S.

"This in turn will allow a public health, and health inequalities debate with legislators, to ensure our (comparatively) low cost and simple test is accessible to all, to ensure the optimal cardiovascular care of those patients we serve,” Dr. Nicol wrote.

Dr. Nicol established multi-societal collaborations, recognizing that we are our best when we work together, and that we all strive for the best care for our patient.

Under Dr. Nicol’s leadership, SCCT speakers participated as faculty in cardiology and imaging meetings around the world, including American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASHC), Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (SCMR), ACC, the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI) and others.

His letter also emphasizes the collaborative work within the past year regarding the new American Board of Cardiovascular Medicine and the importance of lobbying together for appropriate and equitable training and certification of cardiovascular imaging across specialties.

Read the full letter in JCCT.

SCCT thanks Dr. Nicol, as well as the 2023 - 2024 leadership team for their dedication and commitment.

SCCT is pleased to announce the 2024 - 2025 SCCT Executive Committee:

• President: Maros Ferencik, MD, PhD, MSCCT
• President-Elect: Kavitha Chinnaiyan, MD, MSCCT
• Immediate Past President: Ed Nicol, MD, MBA, MSCCT
• Vice President: Ronen Rubenshtein, MD, FSCCT
• Treasurer: Kelley Branch, MD, MSc, FSCCT
• Secretary: Cristina Fuss, MD, PhD, FSCCT
• Member at Large: Ahmad Slim, MD, FSCCT

SCCT 2024 - 2025 Board Members:

• Anjali Chelliah, MD, FSCCT
• Marcus Chen, MD
• Sandeep Hedgire, MD, FSCCT
• Jill Jacobs, MD, MS-HQSM, FSCCT
• Lynne Koweek, MD, FSCCT
• Omar Khalique, MD, FSCCT
• Sandeep Hedge, MD, FSCCT
• Pal Maurovich-Horvat, MD, PhD, MPH, FSCCT
• Ming-Yen Ng, BMedSci, BMBS, FSCCT
• Barbara Srichai-Parsia, MD, FSCCT
• Nikkole Weber, RT(R), (CT), CSCCT
• Jonathan Weir-McCall, MD, FSCCT
• Michelle Williams, MD, PhD, FSCCT
• Pamela Woodard, MD, MSCCT

Dr. Yang is also winner of the SCCT Best Abstract Award for his submission, “Coronary CT Angiography-derived Precursors Of Acute Coronary Syndrome In Ischemia-causing Lesions.”

About the 19th Annual Scientific Meeting of SCCT (SCCT2024) 
SCCT2024 – the preeminent meeting focused on cardiovascular CT – will be held July 18 - 21, 2024 in Washington, DC. The SCCT Annual Scientific Meeting is designed to engage physicians, trainees, technologists and healthcare professionals in a complete overview of the cardiovascular CT field. Planned sessions are targeted for all levels, from new practitioners to experienced providers. Sessions range from general overviews to state-of-the-art research and expert discussions. For more information, please visit https://scct.org/SCCT2024. 

The award recognizes clinical trials that use computed tomography coronary angiography (CCTA) and/or CCTA-based analyses to detect atherosclerotic burden in the diagnosis and treatment of coronary artery disease, as well as demonstrate a positive impact on patient outcomes.

Dr. Chan’s winning submission, “Socioeconomic disparities and the prognostic value of coronary inflammatory risk from routine coronary CT angiography: The Oxford Risk Factors and Non-Invasive Imaging (ORFAN) study,” investigates the relationship between coronary inflammation and social deprivation status, which is considered a driver for cardiovascular disease.

"We are honored to support the 2024 SCCT Clinical Trials and Registries Award and celebrate the contributions of thought-leading clinical trialists," stated James K. Min, MD, MSCCT, founder and CEO of Cleerly. "We applaud Dr. Kenneth Chan for winning first place for his robust study design and its broad applicability of using routine CT angiography to observe inflammation in coronary arteries in relation to socioeconomic disparities. Through our support of this award, we aim to recognize and acknowledge the impactful contributions in cardiovascular care through innovative research and we commend Dr. Chan’s dedication to advancing both knowledge and equality with his work.”

The study evaluated the ability of the Fat Attenuation Index (FAI) Score on routine CCTA to predict cardiovascular outcomes in different socioeconomic classes, ethnicity groups, and in the presence or absence of obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). 

Dr. Chan is a clinical research fellow in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. 

SCCT and Cleerly will present Dr. Chan with the award at the opening session of the Society’s 19th Annual Scientific Meeting (SCCT2024) on Friday, July 19 at the Marriott Marquis in Washington, DC, followed by a presentation of his study.

“SCCT offers our heartfelt congratulations to Dr. Chan for his exemplary work as first author of the ORFAN study, a submission which stood out for its strong study design and methodology, as well as its broad applicability,” said ASM Program Committee Chair and incoming President Maros Ferencik, MD, PhD, MCR, MSCCT. “His trial demonstrated that the most socioeconomically deprived population remained at significantly higher risk of cardiac death and non-fatal heart attacks and the risk was mediated by coronary inflammation detected on cardiovascular CT scans. This information can help practitioners close the gap in patient outcomes for low socioeconomic status groups. We’re thrilled to recognize the profound impact his research will have on the diagnosis and management of cardiovascular disease and look forward to his presentation in July.”

The judging panel named Márton Kolossváry, MD, PhD as runner-up for his submission, “Pitavastatin reduces noncalcified coronary artery plaque via pro-collagen PCOLCE, independently of LDL lowering: An analysis of the REPRIEVE mechanistic substudy.” 

Dr. Kolossváry is head of the Department of Clinical Research at Semmelweis University in Budapest, Hungary. He will present his study and receive this award at the SCCT2024 Best Original Science session at 10:30 am ET on Saturday, July 20.

In addition to the spotlighted presentation, the CTRA comes with a $10,000 prize; one year of membership in SCCT; complimentary Annual Meeting registration; travel support to Washington, DC; accommodation at the Marriott Marquis Hotel and a plaque.

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About the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography
Founded in 2005, the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) is the international professional society devoted to improving health outcomes through effective use of cardiovascular computed tomography (CCT), with members from over 85 countries. SCCT is a community of physicians, scientists and technologists advocating for access, research, education and clinical excellence in the use of CCT. For more information, please visit https://scct.org.

About Cleerly
Cleerly is the company on a mission to eliminate heart attacks by creating a new standard of care for heart disease. Through its FDA-cleared solutions driven by artificial intelligence, Cleerly supports comprehensive phenotyping of coronary artery disease, as determined from advanced non-invasive CT imaging. Cleerly’s approach is grounded in science, based on over 10 million images from over 40,000 patients gathered over a 15-year-period in landmark, multicenter clinical trials. Led by a world-class clinical and technical team, Cleerly enhances health literacy for each and every stakeholder in the coronary care pathway. For more information, please visit https://cleerlyhealth.com.

About the 19th Annual Scientific Meeting of SCCT (SCCT2024) 
SCCT2024 – the preeminent meeting focused on cardiovascular CT – will be held July 18 - 21, 2024 in Washington, DC. The SCCT Annual Scientific Meeting is designed to engage physicians, trainees, technologists and healthcare professionals in a complete overview of the cardiovascular CT field. Planned sessions are targeted for all levels, from new practitioners to experienced providers. Sessions range from general overviews to state-of-the-art research and expert discussions. For more information, please visit https://scct.org/SCCT2024.

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Cleerly 

“At Cleerly, our aim is to provide practitioners and patients with the best possible solutions to support the evaluation of coronary heart disease and validate these with the highest-quality research. Our technology effectively translates advanced imaging into understandable clinical insights and equips practitioners and patients with cutting-edge tools in the fight to end heart attacks,” Dr. Min said. 

At SCCT2024 | Booth 201

• Cleerly® ISCHEMIA™: Cleerly ISCHEMIA is a commercially, FDA-cleared medical device that leverages latest-generation AI to aid in the diagnosis of coronary artery ischemia. Cleerly ISCHEMIA also allows for comprehensive lesion-by-lesion mapping of each lesion in a coronary artery, and a non-invasive analogue to important CAD measures that can help support clinical decision making related to coronary revascularization and how a specialist may treat a patient or lesion. Come hear experts discuss this innovative approach towards determining ischemia, see the latest large-scale clinical data that supports its differentiated diagnostic and prognostic utility over legacy methods, and understand the positive coverage and reimbursement available for this service.
  
  
• Cleerly’s Advanced Plaque Analysis: With an array of clinical trials, Cleerly’s advanced plaque analysis has been tested against nearly all invasive ground truth ‘gold standards’ for measures of angiographic stenosis, plaque burden, lipid rich plaque, vascular morphology and coronary ischemia. Come experience a new era in non-invasive CAD evaluation!

• Cleerly’s All in One Digital Care Pathway: Together, Cleerly’s products and services have been designed and implemented to be a CAD care management platform for comprehensive evaluation, education, treatment and tracking of heart disease. The Cleerly Care Pathway allows for a standardized approach to precision heart care for all stakeholders in the care pathway, including imaging physicians, general cardiologists, interventional cardiologists, primary care physicians, advanced practice providers and most importantly, patients.

About

Cleerly is the company on a mission to eliminate heart attacks by creating a new standard of care for heart disease. Through its FDA-cleared solutions driven by artificial intelligence, Cleerly supports comprehensive phenotyping of coronary artery disease, as determined from advanced non-invasive CT imaging. Cleerly’s approach is grounded in science, based on over 10 million images from over 40,000 patients gathered over a 15-year-period in landmark, multicenter clinical trials. Led by a world-class clinical and technical team, Cleerly enhances health literacy for each and every stakeholder in the coronary care pathway.

Press contact
press@cleerlyhealth.com

More information
cleerlyhealth.com

GE HealthCare 

At SCCT2024 | Booth 107

• Revolution Apex Platform: The Revolution Apex platform was built with exceptional technologies throughout the imaging chain and with an Effortless Workflow model of efficiency to help you meet your imaging challenges. To meet tomorrow’s needs, we’ve built it with scalable detectors that allow you to take your practice to the next level at any time. The Revolution Apex platform is the powerful, adaptable technology you need to lead CT now and into the future.

• Effortless Workflow: When it comes to CT, GE HealthCare studied the entire workflow and created solutions to simplify and streamline each step of the process. These solutions are the core of the Effortless Workflow model, a sophisticated collection of technologies that automate and simplify time-consuming tasks from pre-scan to post-scan. Effortless Workflow takes the CT experience to a new level.

• ECG-Less Cardiac: ECG-less Cardiac is a feature made available on the GE HealthCare Revolution Apex platform. Utilizing a 160 mm scan coverage, 0.23 sec rotation speed, SmartPhase and SnapShot Freeze 2 applications this feature allows for the scanner to acquire a motion free CCTA image without the aid of the patients’ ECG signal/trace.

About 

GE HealthCare is a leading global medical technology, pharmaceutical diagnostics, and digital solutions innovator, dedicated to providing integrated solutions, services, and data analytics to make hospitals more efficient, clinicians more effective, therapies more precise, and patients healthier and happier. Serving patients and providers for more than 125 years, GE HealthCare is advancing personalized, connected, and compassionate care, while simplifying the patient’s journey across the care pathway. Together our Imaging, Ultrasound, Patient Care Solutions, and Pharmaceutical Diagnostics businesses help improve patient care from diagnosis, to therapy, to monitoring. We are a $19.6 billion business with approximately 51,000 colleagues working to create a world where healthcare has no limits.

Press contact
Anna Flahaven, Senior Product Marketing Manager, Computed Tomography anna.flahaven@gehealthcare.com

More information 
www.GEhealthcare.com

HeartFlow, Inc.

At SCCT2024 | Booth 101

• The DECIDE Registry, the largest prospective registry of its kind, will build upon clinical data supporting the use of plaque insights to empower clinical decision making for patients with suspected coronary artery disease.
• The HeartFlow ONE portfolio helps clinicians quickly and efficiently diagnose CAD and optimize treatment. RoadMap™ Analysis drives CCTA reading efficiency and consistency, FFRCT Analysis guides treatment planning, and Plaque Analysis characterizes and quantifies coronary atherosclerosis.
• HeartFlow's technology is guideline-recommended for optimal care and has helped clinicians diagnose and manage over 250,000 patients across over 850 hospitals.
  

About

HeartFlow is transforming precision coronary care with the only AI-powered non-invasive integrated heart care solution across the CCTA pathway. As the pioneer of FFRCT, which is now supported by the ACC/AHA Chest Pain Guideline, HeartFlow continues to advance the diagnosis and management of CAD. HeartFlow’s suite of non-invasive technologies includes its FFRCT Analysis, RoadMap™Analysis, and Plaque Analysis. To date, more than 500 peer-reviewed publications have validated our approach and, more importantly, our technologies have helped clinicians diagnose and manage over 250,000 patients.

Press contact
Linly Ku 
lku@heartflow.com
 
More information 
www.heartflow.com

Siemens Healthineers

“Siemens Healthineers shares SCCT’s mission to improve health outcomes through effective use of cardiovascular CT. Our innovative technologies across a broad portfolio of CT scanners are designed to optimize workflow efficiency and provide consistent, high-quality images. As the role of cardiovascular CT expands, we strive to empower customers in every setting – from outpatient centers to academic and research hospitals – to offer high quality cardiovascular imaging," said Matthew Dedman, Vice President of Computed Tomography at Siemens Healthineers North America.

At SCCT2024 | Booth 207

• Photon-counting Cardiac CT Challenge: Test your knowledge and be amazed! Join us for a lunch symposium with Dr. Stephan Achenbach, Dr. Angele Kelle, and Dr. Ron Blankstein on Saturday, July 20, at 12:10pm!
• Unlock Dual Source CT for a wider variety of hospitals and facilities with SOMATOM Pro.Pulse. Gold-standard Dual Source CT technology is now combined with myExam Companion for intelligent workflow guidance – at a total cost of ownership comparable to single source scanners.
• Photon-counting for cardiac imaging: By offering intrinsic spectral imaging independent of scan speed and of temporal or spatial resolution, NAEOTOM Alpha redefines which patient populations can be addressed with cardiac CT – even those with heavy calcification or stents. Bring spectral imaging to the coronary vessels and benefit from impressive details for small structures.

About

Siemens Healthineers pioneers breakthroughs in healthcare. For everyone. Everywhere. As a leading medical technology company headquartered in Erlangen, Germany, Siemens Healthineers and its regional companies are continuously developing their product and service portfolio, with AI-supported applications and digital offerings that play an increasingly important role in the next generation of medical technology. These new applications will enhance the company’s foundation in in-vitro diagnostics, image-guided therapy, in-vivo diagnostics, and innovative cancer care. Siemens Healthineers also provides a range of services and solutions to enhance healthcare providers’ ability to provide high-quality, efficient care.

Press contact
Liv Egan, Director, CT Product Marketing (SOMATOM Portfolio) 
Olivia.egan@siemens-healthineers.com | (484) 983-9743
 
More information 
www.siemens-healthineers.com

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About the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography
Founded in 2005, the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) is the international professional society devoted to improving health outcomes through effective use of cardiovascular computed tomography (CCT), with members from over 85 countries. SCCT is a community of physicians, scientists and technologists advocating for access, research, education and clinical excellence in the use of CCT. For more information, please visit https://scct.org/

About the 19th Annual Scientific Meeting of SCCT (SCCT2024) 
SCCT2024 – the preeminent meeting focused on cardiovascular CT – will be held July 18 - 21, 2024 in Washington, DC. The SCCT Annual Scientific Meeting is designed to engage physicians, trainees, technologists and healthcare professionals in a complete overview of the cardiovascular CT field. Planned sessions are targeted for all levels, from new practitioners to experienced providers. Sessions range from general overviews to state-of-the-art research and expert discussions. For more information, please visit https://scct.org/SCCT2024.  

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An independent panel of judges selected six radiology and cardiology trainees as finalists for the 18th Annual Canon Young Investigator Awards (YIA) in cardiovascular CT, sponsored by an educational grant from Canon Medical Systems, Inc.

The YIA program supports the professional and clinical development of top radiology residents and cardiology fellows within five years of completing a training program.

"SCCT is committed to promoting the next generation of cardiac imagers and we’re thrilled to partner with Canon once again to bring our top young physicians to the forefront," said Marcus Chen, MD, chair of the YIA judging panel. "For its 18th year, this program serves as a formal introduction of potential up-and-coming thought leaders to the field. We invite the entire cardiovascular CT community to join us online next month for a free front-row seat."

The following finalists will virtually present their abstracts before an independent panel of judges and SCCT member audience on Thursday, June 6, at 12noon ET:

• Mona Ahmed, MD, PhD
  High-Risk Shear Stress Metrics Predict Acute Coronary Syndromes By Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography

• Pakaparn Kittichokechai, MD
  Anatomic Characteristics Of Patients With Right Aortic Arch And Aberrant Left Subclavian Artery Who Do And Do Not Undergo Vascular Ring Repair

• Alexander Razavi, MD, MPH, PhD
  Modeling Allocation Of Semaglutide According To Coronary Artery Calcium And Body Mass Index In Persons Without Clinical Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease And Diabetes: The Multi-Ethnic Study Of Atherosclerosis

• Milan Vecsey-Nagy, MD, PhD
  Ultrahigh-resolution Photon-counting Detector CT Reclassifies Nearly Half Of Patients To A Lower CAD-RADS Category: Results From A Prospective, Intra-individual Comparison To Energy-integrating Detector CT

• Brittany Weber, MD, PhD
  The Frequency, Prevalence, And Outcomes Of Incidentally Detected Coronary Artery Calcium Using Artificial Intelligence Analysis Among Patients With Immune Mediated Inflammatory Diseases

• Seokhun Yang, MD
  Prognostic Implications Of Coronary Ct Angiography-derived Plaque And Hemodynamic Features On Acute Coronary Syndrome Across Varying Time Intervals: Emerald-ii Study

Registration for the online event is available on SCCT's website.

SCCT2024 Best Abstract Award

The Best Abstract Award Committee selected six finalists for the SCCT Best Abstract Award, supported by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation of Southern California (CVRF of So. Ca.) and the Ma Family, who have provided a $5,000 award for the winner.

“On behalf of the judging panel, we’d like to thank the CVRF of Southern California and the Ma Family for their continued and generous financial support of radiology and cardiology trainees,” said chair of the Best Abstract judging panel Milind Desai, MD, MBA, FSCCT. “We offer our congratulations to all the finalists for your exceptional work and look forward to naming a winner and runner-up in DC.”

The following six finalists will virtually present their manuscripts before an independent panel of judges and SCCT member audience on Thursday, June 20, at 12noon ET:

• Haechan Cho, MD
  Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography Versus Functional Testing In Patients With Diabetes And Suspected Coronary Artery Disease: Real-world Evidence From The Nationwide Cohort

• Marcel Langenbach, MD
  Pericoronary Adipose Tissue Density Relates To Increased Cardiovascular Adverse Events In Patients With Stable Chest Pain: Insights From The PROMISE Trial

• Sang-Hyeon Park, MD
  Clinical Impact Of Assessing Plaque Quantification And Local Hemodynamics Of Intermediate Lesions In The Prediction Of Acute Coronary Syndrome

• Steven Mould, MD
  Aortic Valve Area To Annulus Area Ratio: A Novel Metric To Improve The Accuracy Of Cardiac Ct For Evaluation Of Severe Aortic Stenosis

• Tao Hu, MS
  AI Prediction Of Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events In Patients With Coronary Calcium Score Of Zero Using Clinical And Epicardial Adipose Radiomics

• Seokhun Yang, MD
  Coronary Ct Angiography-derived Precursors Of Acute Coronary Syndrome In Ischemia-causing Lesions

Registration for the virtual presentations is available on SCCT's website.

Authors of the two top-scoring abstracts for each award will present their research and winners will be announced at the SCCT2024 Best Original Science session on Saturday, July 20, at 10:30am ET.

Along with a cash prize, each finalist will receive one-year free membership to SCCT as well as free registration for SCCT2025, to be held July 17 - 20, 2025 in Montreal, Canada. Each award winner’s manuscript will be published in the Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (JCCT).

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About the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography
Founded in 2005, the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) is the international professional society devoted to improving health outcomes through effective use of cardiovascular computed tomography (CCT), with members from over 85 countries. SCCT is a community of physicians, scientists and technologists advocating for access, research, education and clinical excellence in the use of CCT. For more information, please visit https://scct.org/.

About the 19th Annual Scientific Meeting of SCCT (SCCT2024)
SCCT2024 – the preeminent meeting focused on cardiovascular CT – will be held July 18 - 21, 2024 in Washington, DC. The SCCT Annual Scientific Meeting is designed to engage physicians, trainees, technologists and healthcare professionals in a complete overview of the cardiovascular CT field. Planned sessions are targeted for all levels, from new practitioners to experienced providers. Sessions range from general overviews to state-of-the-art research and expert discussions. For more information, please visit https://scct.org/SCCT2024.

About the Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography
The Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (JCCT) is a peer-review journal of the SCCT that integrates the international cardiovascular CT community and addresses a broad range of topics affecting cardiovascular CT imaging. The journal’s major focus is on original research and on the clinical and technical aspects of cardiovascular CT. For more information, please visit www.journalofcardiovascularct.com.

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The Agatston Award honors individuals whose pioneering efforts have saved lives from coronary artery disease — the leading cause of death worldwide.

An internationally renowned cardiovascular pathologist, Dr. Virmani is recognized for her profound influence in the field of cardiovascular disease treatment and prevention, through her description of vulnerable plaque and identification of plaque erosion and calcified nodules as additional causes of thrombosis, as well as her work on improving the safety of drug-eluting stents.

“We are delighted to honor Dr. Renu Virmani as the 2024 Arthur S. Agatston Award recipient,” says SCCT President Ed Nicol, MD, MBA, MSCCT. “Her research contributions over the past four decades have significantly impacted the way we view coronary calcification and unstable plaques, ultimately saving countless lives and opening the door for cardiovascular CT."

"This also award recognizes the ripple effect she has created through her work, both as a mentor to younger generations as well as author to an extensive track record of groundbreaking publications."

Dr. Virmani serves as President of CVPath Institute, an independent non-profit organization dedicated to the study of cardiovascular diseases, which she founded in 2005. She is also clinical professor in the Department of Pathology at Georgetown University, University of Maryland-Baltimore, George Washington University and Vanderbilt University.

She is recognized as a leading researcher in the field of cardiovascular disease treatments, delivering more than 800 presentations at scientific meetings across the globe. She has received numerous awards for her work, including the 2012 TCT Career Achievement Award by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation and the 2013 Innovations in Cardiovascular Interventions (ICI) Award.

The Agatston Award is named after Dr. Arthur S. Agatston, a visionary and pioneer in the field of noninvasive cardiac imaging and one of the world’s leading preventive cardiologists. The award will be presented to Dr. Virmani at the SCCT 19th Annual Scientific Meeting (SCCT2024) opening session on Friday, July 19 at the Marriott Marquis in Washington, D.C.

For more information about Dr. Renu Virmani and the Agatston Award, please visit https://scct.org/AgatstonAward. 

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About the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography

Founded in 2005, the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) is the international professional society devoted to improving health outcomes through effective use of cardiovascular computed tomography (CCT), with members from over 85 countries. SCCT is a community of physicians, scientists and technologists advocating for access, research, education and clinical excellence in the use of CCT. For more information, please visit www.SCCT.org.

About the 19th Annual Scientific Meeting of SCCT (SCCT2024)

SCCT2024 – the preeminent meeting focused on cardiovascular CT – will be held July 18 - 21, 2024 in Washington, DC. The SCCT Annual Scientific Meeting is designed to engage physicians, trainees, technologists and healthcare professionals in a complete overview of the cardiovascular CT field. Planned sessions are targeted for all levels, from new practitioners to experienced providers. Sessions range from general overviews to state-of-the-art research and expert discussions. For more information, please visit https://scct.org/SCCT2024.

SCCT is honoring Dr. Nieman for his extensive contributions to the evidence base and body of knowledge supporting coronary CT over the past 25 years, from his seminal work demonstrating the efficacy of multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) published in the Lancet in 2001 through the subsequent two decades.

"We are thrilled to honor Dr. Koen Nieman with the 2024 SCCT Stephan Achenbach Pioneer Award in Cardiovascular CT," said Ed Nicol, MD, MBA, MSCCT, president of the SCCT. "His work over the past two decades has laid the groundwork for establishing the effectiveness of CCTA while also transforming the field of CT imaging through his contributions to clinical practice guidelines and exploration of enhanced analyses in AI and machine learning. We offer Dr. Nieman our congratulations and gratitude on behalf of our members for his pioneering vision and contributions.”

Dr. Nieman is a professor of Cardiovascular Medicine and Radiology at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif. He is recognized for his more than 20 years of service to the field, including his time as SCCT president in 2020 - 2021 and research supporting cardiac imagers during the global pandemic.

Dr. Nieman has continued to play a leading role in establishing the effectiveness in the ability of CCTA, artificial intelligence and machine learning to reliably assess coronary artery disease, contributing to clinical practice guidelines for its use, and exploring and validating enhanced analyses.

Named in honor of SCCT founding member and first president, Dr. Stephan Achenbach, the award will be presented to Dr. Nieman at the SCCT 19th Annual Scientific Meeting (SCCT2024) opening session on Friday, July 19 at the Marriott Marquis in Washington, DC.

For more information about Dr. Koen Nieman and the Stephan Achenbach Pioneer Award, please visit https://scct.org/AchenbachAward.

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About the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography

Founded in 2005, the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) is the international professional society devoted to improving health outcomes through effective use of cardiovascular computed tomography (CCT), with members from over 85 countries. SCCT is a community of physicians, scientists and technologists advocating for access, research, education and clinical excellence in the use of CCT. For more information, please visit www.SCCT.org.

About the 19th Annual Scientific Meeting of SCCT (SCCT2024)

SCCT2024 – the preeminent meeting focused on cardiovascular CT – will be held July 18 - 21, 2024 in Washington, DC. The SCCT Annual Scientific Meeting is designed to engage physicians, trainees, technologists and healthcare professionals in a complete overview of the cardiovascular CT field. Planned sessions are targeted for all levels, from new practitioners to experienced providers. Sessions range from general overviews to state-of-the-art research and expert discussions. For more information, please visit https://scct.org/SCCT2024.

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The SCCT Gold Medal Award – the highest honor bestowed by SCCT – is a service award that recognizes SCCT members who have exemplified leadership and a record of commitment and contributions to SCCT’s mission.

“It is with great pleasure that we present Dr. Suhny Abbara with the 2024 Gold Medal Award, the highest honor bestowed by the Society,” says SCCT President Ed Nicol, MD, MBA, MSCCT. “This medal recognizes Dr. Abbara's exemplary leadership of SCCT as displayed throughout his nearly two decades of membership in the Society and 15 years of service on the Board of Directors.

"His exemplary service, profound expertise, and visionary approach have not only elevated the standards of cardiovascular computed tomography but have also inspired a generation of professionals within our community through his dedicated mentorship. We offer our heartfelt congratulations and gratitude to Dr. Abbara on behalf of our members and staff for his vision and continued dedication.”

Dr. Abbara is professor of Radiology and the chief of Cardiothoracic Imaging at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, and a founding member of SCCT. He is recognized for his contributions as SCCT President in 2018 - 2019; service on the Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (JCCT) Editorial Board from 2014 - 2018; and his key role and continued impact on SCCT education, serving as faculty or giving talks more than 30 times in the past 7 years alone.

He was instrumental in the 2006 conception of SCCT’s original CTA Academy, a course that continues to be a cornerstone of the Society’s hands-on education.

During his time on the Guidelines Committee, Dr. Abbara has supported significant improvements to SCCT’s document development process and has led various scientific document writing groups prior to and during his 5-year term, which concludes in 2025. He is dedicated to continuing education as a mentor within the SCCT Future Leaders Program.

Dr. Abbara will be recognized as the winner of the Gold Medal at the SCCT2024 opening session on July 19 at the Marriott Marquis in Washington, D.C.

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About the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography

Founded in 2005, the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) is the international professional society devoted to improving health outcomes through effective use of cardiovascular computed tomography (CCT). SCCT is a community of physicians, scientists and technologists from over 85 countries advocating for access, research, education and clinical excellence in the use of CCT. For more information, please visit www.SCCT.org.

About the 19^th Annual Scientific Meeting of SCCT (SCCT2024)

SCCT2024 – the preeminent meeting focused on cardiovascular CT – will be held July 18 - 21, 2024 in Washington, DC. The SCCT Annual Scientific Meeting is designed to engage physicians, trainees, technologists and healthcare professionals in a complete overview of the cardiovascular CT field. Planned sessions are targeted for all levels, from new practitioners to experienced providers. Sessions range from general overviews to state-of-the-art research and expert discussions. For more information, please visit www.SCCT.org/SCCT2024.

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Cutting-edge developments and future frontiers

With the four perennial SCCT awards recognizing innovators and pioneers of the cardiac imaging field paired with a new way of presenting Best Abstracts, “the best works within the field will be presented in-person during the meeting,” Dr. Ferencik said.

Topics will range from general overviews to state-of-the-art research and expert discussions to the latest practice guidelines and innovations on the horizon. Meant to serve as a complete overview of the cardiovascular CT field, the full program will cover areas of interest for all professional levels, according to Dr. Ferencik. 

“We will have three sessions on case reviews throughout the program, including coronary, structural and adult congenital heart disease,” he explained. “So, we will focus a little more on the practical, case-based learning that is always in demand from our participants.”

He said another highly anticipated part of the program is the various tracks for personalized learning, including Games & Debates, Technologists, Guidelines & Trials, Fundamentals in Cardiovascular CT, Technical Aspects of Cardiac CT, Structural Heart Disease and Congenital Heart Disease (CHD).

New programming around CHD specifically invites attendees to join the conversation with subject matter experts as interest in this area grows. The CHD Forum will be a half-day didactic course on Thursday, July 18 to provide a deeper dive into aspects of the new and evolving field, while the Adult Congenital Roundtable | Career paths in CHD CT will provide a brown bag lunchtime panel discussion on Friday, July 19 at noon.

The future of cardiovascular CT is inseparable from the transformative influence of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, another available track during the meeting.

Former President Todd C. Villines, MD, MSCCT, said that AI is going to fundamentally “change every aspect of cardiovascular imaging, specifically cardiovascular CT” during an interview with members of the SCCT FiRST Committee at last year’s Annual Scientific Meeting in Boston, Mass.

“As far as guiding therapy, I think what we have seen at this meeting and we’ve seen repeatedly in publications is that it’s allowing us to identify and quantify things that currently we're leaving on the cutting room floor – meaning we can see them but can't quantify them – and we're not therefore able to translate that to patient care,” Dr. Villines explained. “But I think as a field, taking it one step further on a systems level is when AI is really going to help us improve care.”

SCCT2024 will showcase cutting-edge research and innovations in this rapidly evolving landscape, exploring the synergies between CCT and AI. In addition to sessions within its track, the AI/ML Workshop on Thursday, July 18 seeks to further appraise the current gaps in clinical care in the realm of coronary artery disease, prevention and valvular heart disease through AI/ML solutions. World leading experts in CCT, AI and data science will present these topics in a small-group format for health care leaders and physicians as well as trainees and early career professionals. 

More specialty and pre-program sessions include:

• Aortic and mitral intervention: Procedural planning workshop – July 17 - 18 
• CTA Academy: Cardiac CT in routine clinical – July 17 - 18
• Tricuspid, pulmonic and LAAO workshop – July 18
• Technologist hands-on workshop – July 20

Dr. Ferencik notes that networking and the social aspect of SCCT2024 can be just as important as the scientific sessions, connecting a global audience and providing a platform for professionals to share their experiences and insights into the widespread integration of CCT.

Social events include:

• Women in CT Reception – July 18, 6pm
• Opening Reception – July 19, 6pm
• Saturday Social at Swingers Golf – July 20, 7:30pm

While Dr. Ferencik said he’s looking forward to the social aspect of the meeting – reconnecting with acquaintances and meeting new colleagues – he admits that he might be most enthusiastic for a little friendly competition with last year’s record-breaking attendance numbers and the man behind its success as SCCT2023 program chair. 

“And what I look forward to is beating SCCT President Ed Nicol’s attendance record and having more than 1,000 participants in 2024. So please, come to Washington, D.C." he joked.

Key highlights of SCCT2024 include:

• Comprehensive Educational Tracks: Renowned speakers will lead sessions covering a spectrum of topics, from fundamental principles to advanced applications of cardiovascular computed tomography.
• International Perspectives: A global forum for attendees to share experiences, challenges, and success stories, fostering international collaboration in the cardiovascular CT community.
• Innovations in AI: Showcasing groundbreaking research and advancements in artificial intelligence and machine learning applied to cardiovascular computed tomography.
• Networking Opportunities: Engage with leading experts, build professional connections, and forge collaborations that will shape the future of cardiovascular imaging.

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About the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography

Founded in 2005, the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) is the international professional society devoted to improving health outcomes through effective use of cardiovascular computed tomography (CCT). SCCT is a community of physicians, scientists and technologists from over 85 countries advocating for access, research, education and clinical excellence in the use of CCT. For more information, please visit SCCT.org.

About the 19th Annual Scientific Meeting of SCCT (SCCT2024) 

SCCT2024 – the preeminent meeting focused on cardiovascular CT – will be held July 18 - 21, 2024 in Washington, DC. The SCCT Annual Scientific Meeting is designed to engage physicians, trainees, technologists and healthcare professionals in a complete overview of the cardiovascular CT field. Planned sessions are targeted for all levels, from new practitioners to experienced providers. Sessions range from general overviews to state-of-the-art research and expert discussions. For more information, please visit www.SCCT.org/SCCT2024.

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Business Aspects of Cardiac CT – the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) journal’s second topic-driven special issue – will be a comprehensive review of all facets of CT program creation and management, including business case analysis, obstacles in different environments and mechanisms to overcome those hurdles, as well as up-to-date coding and billing challenges and solutions.

“As the use of cardiac CT grows, there is more interest in resources that SCCT can offer in terms of practice support — but there is also a paucity of published data,” said Guest Editor Ahmad M. Slim, MD, FSCCT, of Pulse Heart Institute in Tacoma, Wash. “The editorial board recognized providers want a better understanding of the financial impact of programs, the business of medicine and reimbursement advocacy efforts, localized in one issue to cover it all.”

According to Dr. Slim, the editorial board noticed increased engagement in educational offerings surrounding the logistical aspects of running a cardiac CT program, including registrations for SCCT webinars on the topic and downloads of resources in the SCCT Starter Kit, created in 2023 to help providers plan, launch and operate a cardiac CT service.

“We felt it was time to take a deeper dive into analyzing both the issues and the elements of success,” he said.

JCCT Editor-in-Chief Armin Zadeh, MD, PhD, MPH, MSCCT said the board also considered the volume of questions that arise during SCCT conferences and in communication channels regarding the logistics and economics of running a cardiac CT service.

“Education is a key objective of JCCT, and we closely coordinate the educational demands for specific topics with the SCCT,” Dr. Zadeh said. “We hope that a dedicated focus issue on the business aspects of cardiac CT will provide comprehensive answers to all logistical aspects of running a cardiac CT program.”

Articles will be published as ready starting this summer. The collection will address a wide audience and highlight perspectives from other countries in addition to the U.S., according to SCCT President Edward Nicol, MD, MBA, MSCCT.

“The issue will complement webinars and sessions at the SCCT Annual Scientific Meeting on these topics, providing coverage of successful practice models, personnel and training issues, and administrative issues that are both broader and deeper than SCCT has been able to provide in our educational activities,” he said.

The deadline for manuscripts submission is June 15, 2024.

Relevant submission topics may include (but are not limited to) evolving practice models or settings; studies of efficacy and efficiencies in practice and protocols; innovations in training and team building; data-driven practice expansions and integrations across the care spectrum.

“The field of cardiac CT is flourishing, and many are interested in starting a program,” said Dr. Zadeh. “We will provide many details on the ‘nuts and bolts’ of a cardiac CT program, and we hope that this special focus issue will make it easier for readers to successfully launch their programs.”

According to Dr. Zadeh, the editorial board identified several other topics for special focus issues – to be announced over the upcoming months – and welcomes topic suggestions from SCCT members.

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About the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography

Founded in 2005, the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) is the international professional society devoted to improving health outcomes through effective use of cardiovascular computed tomography (CCT). SCCT is a community of physicians, scientists and technologists from over 85 countries advocating for access, research, education and clinical excellence in the use of CCT. For more information, please visit www.SCCT.org.

About the Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography
The Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (JCCT) is a peer-review journal of the SCCT that integrates the international cardiovascular CT community and addresses a broad range of topics affecting cardiovascular CT imaging. The journal’s major focus is on original research and on the clinical and technical aspects of cardiovascular CT. For more information, please visit www.journalofcardiovascularct.com.

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“It was my honor to host one of the largest SCCT Global meetings to date and welcome the world of cardiovascular CT to my hometown of Budapest,” said Program Committee Chair Pal Maurovich-Horvat, MD, PhD, MPH, FSCCT. “SCCT extends its congratulations to the winners of the Best Abstract and Rapid Fire awards for their exceptional work pushing the field of cardiovascular CT forward.”

The distinguished panel of 5 judges awarded Joleen Geers, MBBS with Best Abstract for her submission, “Aortic Valve Fibrocalcific Volume By Computed Tomography Angiography In Mild To Severe Aortic Stenosis: Sex-specific Comparison With Echocardiography."

Selected as top among the meeting’s 17 highest scored abstracts, Geers’ study uses a multicenter registry to investigate the relationship of fibrocalcific aortic valve tissue characteristics with disease severity and determine optimal fibrocalcific thresholds for diagnosing severe aortic stenosis.

New this year, the Rapid Fire Case Presentations featured 5-minute talks from five finalists whose abstracts received the highest reviewer scores. The judging committee – led by David Newby, MD, PhD, FMedSci and Gianluca Pontone, MD, PhD, FSCCT – selected winners based on originality, execution, presentation, SCCT relevance and impact.

Chiara Gnasso, MD received the top Rapid Fire score with her presentation, "In Patients Undergoing Tavi, Imaging Biomarkers Derived From Preoperative Ct Scan Predict Long Term Prognosis." Marta Belmonte, MD was the Rapid Fire runner-up with her abstract, "Predictors Of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Derived From Coronary Ct Angiography In Patients With Chronic Coronary Syndromes."

All awardees received a certificate and complimentary registration to a future SCCT educational event.

All abstracts from SCCT Global 2024 | Budapest are available in a special supplement of the Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (JCCT).

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About the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography

Founded in 2005, the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) is the international professional society devoted to improving health outcomes through effective use of cardiovascular computed tomography (CCT). SCCT is a community of physicians, scientists and technologists from over 85 countries advocating for access, research, education and clinical excellence in the use of CCT. For more information, please visit www.SCCT.org.

About the Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography

The Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (JCCT) is a peer-review journal of the SCCT that integrates the international cardiovascular CT community and addresses a broad range of topics affecting cardiovascular CT imaging. The journal’s major focus is on original research and on the clinical and technical aspects of cardiovascular CT. For more information, please visit www.journalofcardiovascularct.com.

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• The presence of total occlusion (TO) in CCTA is further characterized by length criteria that improve the accuracy of detection with respect to conventional ICA.
• The CCTA score accounts for narrowings of more than 50% involved in serial bifurcation/trifurcations and multiple TOs in the same coronary segment. Of note, this point is applied to the ICA-SYNTAX score modification as well.
• Lesions located behind a TO assessable on CCTA are included in the score, whilst they are usually not scored on conventional invasive coronary angiography since they are not reliably visualized. In conventional cine angiography the duration of injection, the amount of contrast medium injected and the duration of cine filming may impact the visualization of the distal bed due to incomplete opacification through collaterals.

SCCT awarded Gavin Huangfu, MD, of University of Western Australia as the YIA winner for his abstract, “CT Frailty Model Outperforms Clinical Frailty Score For Mortality Prediction Following TAVR.”

First runner-up is Alexander Te-Wei Shieh for his abstract, “Radiomics Analysis Of Sex-specific Differences In Pericoronary Adipose Tissue Extracted From Coronary Ct Angiography.”

“It’s an exciting time to review research from radiology residents and cardiology fellows in our field, especially as it continues to evolve and expand at such an exponential rate,” says co-chair of the YIA judging panel, Marcus Chen, MD.

“SCCT and Canon Medical Systems remain committed to supporting the research, writing and oral presentation skills of these future leaders. Dr. Huangfu’s presentation stood out to the judging panel because of its originality, execution and relevance to the cardiovascular CT community.”

Finalists include:

• Tsung Ying Tsai, MD – Feasibility And Accuracy Of Real-time 3d-holographic Graft Length Measurement, A Substudy Of The Fasttrack Cabg Trial
  
  
• Marcel Langenbach, MD – Association Between Small Particulate Matter And Obstructive Coronary Artery Disease In Patients With Stable Chest Pain Across The U.S.: Insights From The PROMISE Trial
  
  
• Venkat Sanjay Manubolu, MD, MPH – Association Of Thoracic Aortic Calcification And Coronary Heart Disease Events: Multi-ethnic Study Of Atherosclerosis (MESA)

The five finalists gave an oral presentation of their manuscripts before an independent panel of judges – led by Chen and Rene Packard, MD, PhD – on Friday, July 28 and Saturday, July 29 at the Canon Education Theater. Winners were announced at the Team Spirit session on Saturday, July 29.

The YIA program supports the professional and clinical development of top radiology residents and cardiology fellows within five years of completing a training program.

Along with a cash prize, each finalist received one year free membership to SCCT as well as free registration for SCCT2024, to be held July 18 - 24, 2024 in Washington, D.C. Each award winner’s manuscript will be eligible for priority peer-reviewed publication in the Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (JCCT).

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About the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography

Founded in 2005, the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) is the international professional society devoted to improving health outcomes through effective use of cardiovascular computed tomography (CCT). SCCT is a community of physicians, scientists and technologists from over 85 countries advocating for access, research, education and clinical excellence in the use of CCT. For more information, please visit www.SCCT.org.

About the 18th Annual Scientific Meeting of SCCT (SCCT2023)

Held July 27 - 30, 2023 in Boston, Mass., SCCT2023 was the largest Annual Scientific Meeting of the society. The SCCT Annual Scientific Meeting is designed to engage physicians, trainees, technologists and healthcare professionals in a complete overview of the cardiovascular CT field. Planned sessions are targeted for all levels, from new practitioners to experienced providers. Sessions range from general overviews to state-of-the-art research and expert discussions. For more information, please visit www.SCCT.org/SCCT2023.

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