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My summer vacation has gone so fast and still, I have so much to do. This summer has been absolutely fantastic with beautiful weather, but must now come to an end (at least here in Sweden). We can expect more rain and dull weather for the coming months, but nothing with ISMRM is dull or boring.
On the contrary, I am thrilled that our new Equity Officer, Professor Elizabeth Morris, is now in place and has started her work. Our Society has always strived for respect, for equality and for giving people a voice regardless of who they are. However, still more can be done to make everyone feel seen, included, involved and respected regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, religion, color or being professional young or old. I am therefore very grateful for Liz and the task force of work she has planned.
We have just decided, as part of her agenda, to find ways to conduct training for the Leadership to understand unconscious bias so that we can avoid this in our decision making. I am sure we will hear more from Liz and the task force in the near future.
I sincerely ask you to take this issue to heart and do what you can yourself to make everyone included and welcome in our Society. You can find a more extended interview with Liz on the website in the very near future.
A lot of ISMRM activities are on the horizon this fall so check the website for upcoming workshops and virtual meetings, such as the Workshop on Advances in Multiscale Cancer Detection: From Micro to Macro in Dublin in early October, as well as a continuation of the popular Machine Learning: Part II, in Washington, in late October. A virtual meeting from the Quantitative MRI Study Group, Noise & Other Remaining Sources of Bias in B0- & B1-Corrected qMR, will occur on Thursday, 20 September 2018. For more information about workshops and virtual meetings check the website.
As I am from Sweden, and thereby one of the Nordic countries, I cannot help to advocate a little for the Annual Meeting of The Nordic Chapter in Trondheim on the 25th of October. This meeting starts with an MR Seminar in Clinical 7T on the 24th of October. You are all welcome to join the meeting. Also the British and the Japanese Chapters will have their Annual meetings in the fall. You can read more about our important chapters and their programs on our website.
As you all might know, Matthew Bernstein has decided to step down as Editor for MRM when his term ends next year. So one of the Society’s many tasks is to find a new Editor for the MRM after Matt, which will not be an easy task. But we are on our toes, and our search for a new Editor for MRM has started with the appointment of a search committee, led by Greg Stanisz. We wish them good luck in this important work.
If anybody thought that I gave up on the new tin roof on my renovation/reconstruction this summer – you are wrong. With the help of my uncle (yes, it was too difficult alone) and with cheering support from Pavel (my husband) and my mother, a new black tin roof is in place (figure 1). Then I was able to finish painting the side wall of the barn (figure 2). This summer the weather in Sweden has been too warm for blueberries, and few were the days we could pick wild raspberries for dessert. However, we got a few bowls, and I can tell you that the taste of wild raspberries is something totally different than what you get from those bought in the supermarket (figure 3).
The Annual Classic car show in Hudiksvall, a small city by the sea close to our summer estate, is always popular among car fantasts and one day it was the Ladies Cruising -different old cars owned and driven by ladies cruising around the city and countryside having fun. This was one of my favorite cars. I liked the color and the form – It did not win best in show but still one of my favorites. (fig 4)
The program for the upcoming 27th ISMRM Annual Meeting (11-16 May 2019) and the 28th SMRT Annual meeting (10-13 May 2019) in Montréal, Canada is moving along fine. John Port and Doug Noll have total control. I am still hoping to be able to add some surprises in the program – but that I will keep for myself.
I will try to focus on some ideas for the Society that I have in mind in an attempt to bring in more money for research and travel grants. I promise I will let you all know more when I have sorted this out myself. The ideas are many, as always, but maybe not possible to do.
Best late summer wishes
Pia
Figure 1. The famous black tin roof
Figure 2. Newly painted wall in the by now well-known Falu rödfärg.
Figure 3. My raspberry bowl with freshly whipped cream, no sugar needed the berries were so sweet
Figure 4. A favorite among the cars at the Annual Classic Car Show
