Top stories have dominated my working life over the past 15 years, since the official launch of AuntMinnieEurope at ECR 2011 in Vienna. As a radiology journalist, I’ve always loved the challenge of deciding which article to place in the top spot on the home page.
Before stepping down as editor-in-chief on 27 February to spend more time with family and friends and to pursue my interests and hobbies, I wanted to share with you my personal list of all-time favorites. The list below is in chronological order. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I have enjoyed compiling the lineup.
The daily search for European radiology’s top story of the day has been a fun task for Philip Ward. Image created by Edna Astbury-Ward, PhD, using ChatGPT.
1. The obsession with smartphones
The Maverinck (aka Rinckside, Prof. Peter Rinck) wrote insightful and reflective columns for us between 2011 and 2022. They proved incredibly popular, particularly his series on the use of smartphones in medical practice. How right he was to warn us about the impact of smartphones on our daily lives. But did we listen?
2. The enduring appeal of the Olympics
The European medical imaging community seems to adore the Olympics! In 2012, our two most viewed stories were both about the London Olympics. Thanks to imaging lead Dr. Phil O’Connor and Finn Crotty of GE Healthcare, I was the first medical journalist to gain access to the polyclinic. Since 2012, our website has always had coverage of the Games.
3. Golden rules of radiology
The simple rules of radiology – the übertruths that are the very essence of the specialty. This single topic has fascinated Dr. Paul McCoubrie since he addressed this question in his first article for us posted on 19 February 2013. He went on to compile a list of 100 golden rules published in two bestselling books.
4. The buzz of a congress
Debate enlivens the soul, particularly during a conference. At ECR 2014, I was reporting on a session about the early days of MRI. Was the Nobel Committee right in 2003 to omit Dr. Raymond Damadian from the list of recipients of the prize for MRI? When this question popped up, the atmosphere was electric and emotions and opinions flowed freely. Now that’s why we all keep going to meetings...
5. Impact of Brexit
A narrow majority of the U.K. electorate (51.9%) voted to leave the EU on 23 June 2016. It was obvious this would have not only major implications for the future of Europe but also a substantial impact on radiology. The brilliant market analyst, Steve Holloway, wrote several pieces for us about the fallout from Brexit. As ever, he kept a cool head in a crisis, presenting the facts in a calm and balanced way.
6. Evolution of AI
How will AI change clinical practice? Will it replace radiologists? Who will implement it and pay for it? These questions have occupied all of us for more than a decade. In hindsight, a lot of half-truths and hype have been voiced, but our article from 23 May 2017 (again penned by Holloway) on AI’s role as the great enabler was certainly spot-on.
7. MRI accident in Sweden
In October 2019, a specialist nurse wearing a weighted vest got sucked into an MRI machine in Swedish Lapland. We obtained a copy of the 195-page police report (all in Swedish) and posted a breaking news story about its key findings on 16 March 2020. This article had tens of thousands of page views, and it was the most viewed story in 2020 on both our U.S. and European sites. It had an impact beyond medical imaging.
8. Keep family close
Christiane Kuhl with her mum Anne.
When I began covering radiology in 1990, the conventional wisdom was that your private life should be kept private. A refreshing change over the past four decades is that more radiologists are now happy and comfortable discussing their personal lives. In April 2020, Prof. Dr. Christiane Kuhl spoke very openly about the importance of her family and her farm and how essential they are to her mental well-being and avoidance of burnout.
9. Life in the time of COVID
In the early days of the pandemic, there was an unquenchable thirst among readers for reliable information. The ever-dependable Dr. Giles Maskell presented his personal observations in a superb column posted on 25 May 2020. As always, he summed up perfectly and with the minimum of fuss what so many clinical radiologists were living through.
10. Cyberattack in Ireland
News broke on 14 May 2021 of a cyberattack on the Irish healthcare system. For radiology, the impact was devastating. Many, if not all, IT systems were off-network, and most departments had no functioning RIS or PACS. We published several articles over the next few weeks. ECR 2023 President Prof. Adrian Brady was an invaluable source for me, as he has been so often. The incident underlined how easily a national or regional health system can be paralyzed. Let’s hope the lessons have been learned and cybersecurity is now being prioritized.
11. Imaging of a pumpkin
MRI scans of a pumpkin at 11.7 tesla. Image courtesy of Drs. N. Boulant, C. Lerman, L. Quettier, and CEA-Paris-Saclay.
An all-European machine thought to be the most powerful MRI scanner in the world produced its first images in October 2021: a pumpkin scanned at 11.7 tesla. Dr. Denis Le Bihan and his team deserve immense credit for their ground-breaking research and their creativity and timing. He sent me the images a few days before Halloween. What a masterstroke!
12. Building a new life Down Under
Life's a beach! Paul Parizel has embraced everything Western Australia has to offer.
When ECR 2017 President Prof. Paul Parizel left his senior post in Belgium for Western Australia in September 2019, the sceptics thought he’d made a serious mistake and would live to regret it. How wrong they were. In May 2022, he chatted with us about his new career and lifestyle, and the widespread misconceptions about Perth.
13. The emergence of diversity
Expert videographer Christof G. Pelz and I have recorded video interviews onsite at ECR since 2014. The one that stands out most is our interview with Prof. Amaka Offiah. After 9 mins 30 secs of the video, Offiah, who was elected vice president for clinical radiology at the U.K. Royal College of Radiologists in September 2025, spoke bravely and honestly about diversity and inclusion. How far radiology has come in breaking the "pale, male, and stale" barriers.
14. Suspension of radiologists in Antwerp
The ZNA Cadix Hospital in Antwerp, Belgium, suspended its entire team of seven radiologists in early June 2024. The constantly vigilant Prof. Erik Ranschaert alerted me, and we broke the news in the English-language media. The episode gripped the European medical imaging community for several weeks, and our updates and analysis proved extremely popular.
15. Ukraine’s true grit and spirit
Thanks to the support of the global imaging community, radiology staff at the Ohmatdyt were able to restore normal service.
I’d like to thank all my colleagues and contacts for their many contributions and hard work over the past 15 years. The Editorial Advisory Board has been a marvellous source of ideas, encouragement, and inspiration for me. A special mention too must go to Drs. Jamie Howie and Uzoma Nnajiuba, whom I've known since they were radiology trainees. Their collection of podcasts has provided me with great material over the years. Above all, though, I’d like to thank you -- our readers -- for viewing our output and engaging with us.
I wish incoming Editor-in-Chief Erik Ridley, European-based Associate Editors Frances Rylands-Monk and Claudia Tschabuschnig, Copy and Production Editor Matt Ferguson, Contributing Editor Maryam Payne, and the rest of the team all the very best in the enduring search for new and exciting top stories. Please continue to support and follow them in the years ahead!
