University of Wisconsin–Madison Department of Radiology members garnered multiple accolades at the 2026 Society for Advanced Body Imaging (SABI) Meeting, held Oct. 11-14. Members participated in invited plenary talks and scientific presentations; with featured topics ranging from cardiac device MRI safety to utilizing opportunistic imaging to generate predictive risk imaging scores. 

Perry Pickhardt, MD; Giuseppe Toia, MD, MS; and Andrew Wentland, MD, PhD were inducted as fellows of the society in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the field of body imaging. Jitka Starekova, MD was chosen to serve as the vice chair of the SABI Scientific Committee.  

The society recognized the exemplary work conducted by department members; presenters secured three research awards and five cum laude poster exhibits. View the full list of presentations and awards below. 

Garrett Fullerton
(PhD student, mentor: Scott Reeder, MD, PhD)

• Cum Laude Poster Award: Multicenter, Multivendor Development and Validation of Automated Liver MRI Prescription 
• Innovation Research Award: High-throughput Liver Fat Quantification Using a Novel MRI Suite Design, Automated Prescription, and Free-Breathing Imaging 

John Garrett, PhD

• Cum Laude Poster Award: An Explainable Sex-Specific CT Predictive Risk Imaging Score for Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events (CT- PRISM) for 10-year Cardiovascular Risk Using Opportunistic Abdominal CT Biomarkers 

Jeffrey Kanne, MD

• Cardiothoracic Imaging: Hottest Trials 

Fred Lee, MD 

• Panelist: Practical Solutions for Maintaining a Robust Academic Mission 
• Ted Talks: Passing It On Through Generations 

Matthew Lee, MD

• Spirit of Service: Matthew’s Story 
• Cum Laude Poster Award: A Novel Sex-Specific CT-Hip Fracture Risk Model Using Explainable Opportunistic CT Biomarkers for 10-year Hip Fracture Risk 

Perry Pickhardt, MD
Inducted as a SABI Fellow

• Spirit of Innovation: Perry’s Story 

Ali Pirasteh, MD

• Is PET-MRI a Clinical or Research Tool? 
• Panelist: Cardiac Device MRI Safety 2026   
• Cum Laude Poster Award: FAPI PET/MRI for the Assessment of Liver Fibrosis: A Prospective Study 

Benjamin Rush, PhD 

• Hounsfield Research Award: Opportunistic CT Body Composition at Scale: 15-year Tissue Quality Trends and Hidden Risk by BM 

Jitka Starekova, MD

• Panelist: Cardiac Device MRI Safety 2026   
• Spirit of Innovation: Jitka’s Story 

Aria Salyapongse, MS  
(PhD student, mentors: Timothy Szczykutowicz, PhD and Giuseppe Toia, MD, MS) 

• Cum Laude Poster Award: Iodine Quantification Error Due to Non-Water Backgrounds: A Phantom Study 

Giuseppe Toia, MD, MS
Inducted as a SABI Fellow

• Panelist: Contrast Safety 2026 
• Lunch & Learn sponsored by GE HealthCare – New Innovations in CT and MR for Body Imaging 
• Back to School – The Physics of Quantitative CT   
• Foundation Research Award: Diagnostic Utility of Novel CT UGI Protocol for the Detection of Proximal Gastroduodenal Leaks

Andrew Wentland, MD, PhD
Inducted as a SABI Fellow

• Spirit of Science: Andrew’s Story – Lessons for the Next Generation of Physician-Scientists