Gold Medallist

Born in Swansea and growing up in South Wales, Rob Morgan was influenced by his mother who was a midwifery sister and the local family doctor to pursue a career in medicine. In 1983, he graduated from medical school at Bristol University. Post graduate training in general medicine resulted in the achievement of the MRCP (UK) examination in 1988. Between 1988 and 1993 Prof. Morgan underwent training in radiology at Plymouth Hospital and St George’s Hospital, achieving the FRCR examination in 1991. In 1992, he wrote his first peer-reviewed paper; “Pancreatic and renal mobility”, published in Clinical Radiology.

In 1993, RM went to the University of Texas for a fellowship in interventional radiology under the guidance of Eric (Skip) vanSonnenberg. As the most junior member of the IR team, Skip gave him the nickname “Gunner”. Skip mandated basketball training every Sunday morning for all the IR Team. As a complete basketball novice, during his first game, one of the senior staff pushed RM to the ground, breaking his radius. RM was required to work as normal – with arm in sling – the next day and thereafter. He stayed on for an extra year as instructor in interventional radiology before returning to the UK in 1995.

Between 1995 and 1996, RM was lecturer in IR working for Andy Adam and John Reidy at Guy’s and St Thomas’s Hospitals. RM was Andy Adam’s second ever lecturer succeeding Tony Watkinson and Bien Soo Tan who was a visiting fellow at the time. In 1996, RM became Consultant Radiologist in Renal and Interventional Radiology at St Mary’s Hospital, London. He worked in partnership with Aghiad Al-Kutoubi for 6 months, before Aghiad was head-hunted by the American University of Beirut and left the UK. RM thus became the sole IR at St Mary’s, working 4 ½ days a week in the IR suite, which was a great way to acquire experience in all aspects of IR very quickly, but not a great environment to foster academia.

In 1999, RM was tempted to return to St George’s by Anna-Maria Belli after the departure of Tim Buckenham to Edinburgh where he became Consultant Vascular and Interventional Radiologist. RM developed interests in the endovascular treatment of abdominal and thoracic aortic disease, where he worked closely with his vascular surgical colleagues at St George’s. Other key interests are embolotherapy for the management of haemorrhage, endoleaks, and visceral artery aneurysms. Today, RM is Clinical Director for Diagnostics and Research Lead for Diagnostic and interventional Radiology at St George’s, Imaging Lead for Southwest London, and Chair of the London IR Committee.

RM has published over 185 peer-reviewed papers, written 47 book chapters, edited 5 books and has delivered over 330 invited lectures. RM became Professor of Interventional Radiology at St George’s, University of London in 2021.

RM is the current Vice President of the British Society of Interventional Radiology (BSIR) and will become BSIR President in 2023. In 2021, he was awarded the BSIR Gold Medal.

RM has held many positions within CIRSE, commencing as member of the Rules Committee in 2001 and becoming a member of the Executive Committee in 2003 as Chairperson of the Standards of Practice Committee. One of RM’s favourite roles in the society was chairing the Scientific Programme Committee which provided him the opportunity to be creative with the annual congress and to meet with IRs from all over the world in the production of the scientific programme.

RM was CIRSE President between 2017 and 2019. As president, RM drove the creation of the annual ET congress and was instrumental in fostering increasingly closer relationships with CIRSE’s partner IR societies worldwide including the SIR and the APSCVIR. At the instigation of Jim Reekers, RM created the European Board of Interventional Radiology which was first held in Valencia in 2010. RM has been closely involved in the decision making that has led to the maturation of the EBIR that exists in 2023.

Between 2010 and 2017, RM was Editor for Reviews for CVIR and has been Deputy Editor-in-Chief for CVIR Endovascular since its inception in 2017.

RM lives with his wife Carrie and their dog Ottie in a small hamlet in Surrey.  This enables them to pursue their major interests of walking and cycling, which they do whenever they can. RM is a keen opera enthusiast and his daily two hour return commute to St George’s has enabled him to become familiar with all of the 10 major opera works of Wagner, a long-time ambition. Other interests are 60s and 70s rock music and books on history.