Distinguished Fellows

Prof. Patrick Haage was born and raised in Kiel, Germany. During his studies at Heinrich-Heine University in Düsseldorf, he took part I and II of the US Medical Licensing Examination. After his dissertation in 1995 and an internship at the Radiation Oncology Department of the University of Essen, he started his radiology residency at the same university before finishing it at the Radiology Department of the Aachen University of Technology. After board certification, he became an assistant professor at the department in 2001 and an associate professor in 2002 after defending his habilitation thesis entitled “Magnetic resonance function and imaging of the lung: Experimental and clinical investigations”.

In 2004, Prof. Haage became Head of the IR Department of the University of Aachen’s Radiology Department under the leadership of Prof. Rolf W. Günther. Since 2006, he has been the Director of the Departments of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology of HELIOS Radiology West which includes five sites with its main office located at Wuppertal University Hospital. In 2007, Prof. Haage attained full professorship.

Since 2014, Prof. Haage has been the University Chair for Clinical Radiology at the private University of Witten/Herdecke. From 2010-2018, he was a member of the HELIOS Medical Advisory Council, followed by his appointment as Chief Medical Director of HELIOS University Hospital Wuppertal in 2019, overseeing more than 500 physicians.

Prof. Haage has been actively involved in the development of CIRSE, serving as a member of the Scientific Programme Committee for the annual congress from 2006-2015, heading the committee from 2014-2015. He has served as a member of the Executive Committee from 2011-2023, as Education Programme Coordinator from 2015-2022, and on the Radiation Protection Committee from 2011-2023. He has been a member of the Endovascular Subcommittee and the Artificial Intelligence Task Force since 2023. He is also a member of the Advisory Board of Next Research, CIRSE’s contract research organisation. Prof. Haage was one of the founding members of the European Board of Interventional Radiology (EBIR) under Prof. Rob Morgan and received the EBIR-ES in 2022. Prof. Haage co-founded the European Conference on Embolotherapy (ET) with Christoph Binkert and chaired the conference from 2022-2023. His hospital has been an IASIOS enrolled centre since 2023.

In addition to his efforts to further interventional radiology on a European level, Prof. Haage is also very active in education on a national level, having served as a DeGIR certified IR trainer for modules A-D since 2010. From 2012-2015, he also served on the DeGIR Executive Committee. Prof. Haage has been CIRSE’s representative for Germany in the UEMS IR Division since 2011. From 2009-2011, he presided over the Vascular Access Society.

Prof. Haage’s scientific and clinical interests lie in vascular access, interventional oncology, state-of-the-art CT/MR imaging as well as venous, peripheral and supraaortic interventions. He has authored and co-authored more than 300 publications and lectures at national and international meetings. His current PUBMED count exceeds 180 publications.

Prof. Haage is a reviewer for 16 journals, including CVIR, The Lancet, Kidney International, European Radiology, European Journal of Radiology, Investigative Radiology, Neuroradiology, and the Journal of Endovascular Therapy. He has also served as a member of six editorial boards, including for CVIR, RöFo, EJR, and the Journal of Vascular Access.

Prof. Haage received his international Master of Business Administration in 2003 with his master thesis entitled “Invention Commercialization in Biotech-Biomed University spin-offs: Key Components”.

Prof. Haage has been married to his wife Nadja for 20 years. In his free time, Prof. Haage likes to spend as much time as possible with his two sons Noah (17) and Jona (15), sharing their various extracurricular activities, especially skiing, hockey, and soccer. He also tries hard to meet and stay in touch with his close friends. Sometimes he also enjoys doing – nothing.

Prof. Lars Lönn has forged a distinguished career as a radiologist committed to advancing the field. From his foundational training in Sweden to his current position in Copenhagen, Prof. Lönn’s contributions extend globally, emphasizing the evolving significance of interventional radiology (IR) in modern healthcare. This overview encapsulates his dedication, international impact, and influential role within CIRSE.

Prof. Lars Lönn has dedicated his work lifetime to interventional radiology, leaving an indelible mark on patients’ lives. His primary focus as a key opinion leader centered around endografting for thoracic and abdominal aortic diseases, earning him invitations from around the globe. Currently associated with Rigshospitalet, the National University Hospital of Copenhagen, Denmark, Prof. Lönn expresses immense pride in his team’s collective efforts. He also acknowledges the impactful work of the interventional radiology team at Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg, Sweden, where he previously contributed.

Academic and Professional journey

Trained at Sahlgrenska Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden, Prof. Lönn obtained foundational expertise in cardiology, vascular surgery, and radiology. He received his PhD in CT/MR in 1998 and associate Professor in 2003, before assuming the role of full Professor at the National University Hospital in Copenhagen in 2007. He is a consultant senior interventional radiologist with board certification in all three Scandinavian countries.

International recognition and publications

Prof. Lönn’s international acclaim is evident through invitations to prestigious hospitals and meetings worldwide. His prolific academic contributions include more than 250 publications, more than 40 book chapters, and supervision/co-supervision of nearly 30 PhD students. Moreover, Dr Lonn has undertaken the role of an academic adversary for theses on a national and international scale on 15 occasions. Serving as an editor, reviewer, and faculty member for international journals and congresses, he has delivered over 300 lectures, including keynote addresses. After serving as the President of the Swedish Seldinger Vascular and Interventional Society for many years, he was awarded honorary membership in 2016. He also rendered six years of dedicated service at the Swedish Research Council in Stockholm, Sweden a decade ago.

Contributions to CIRSE

Prof. Lönn’s influence within CIRSE has been pivotal. He is a former member of the Membership Committee and of the Scientific Programme Committee, played a key role in establishing the Radiation Protection Pavilion and initiated hands-on courses for closure devices. He significantly contributed to the simulation gallery at the annual CIRSE congress from the start and was deeply involved in the setup and development of the EBIR (European Board of Interventional Radiology) examinations.
Furthermore, Prof. Lönn has actively participated in the Local Host Committee for CIRSE meetings on no fewer than four occasions, the most recent being for CIRSE 2023 in Copenhagen.

Educational initiatives and training courses

Acknowledging the growing importance of IR, Prof. Lönn organized international training courses on endovascular aneurysm repair. He conducted practical courses on peripheral percutaneous vascular interventions in Europe, China, and Saudi Arabia. His extensive experience in aortic pathology and cutting-edge endovascular technologies underscores his commitment to education.

Industry engagement and leadership roles

Beyond academia, Prof. Lönn has served as a consultant and scientific advisor for medical device companies. His leadership extends to subcommittees in CIRSE, contributing to the advancement of interventional radiology on multiple fronts.

Clinical Director of Mentice

Since 2008, Prof. Lönn has served part time as the Clinical Director of Mentice, a world-leading endovascular company specializing in medical simulation and imaging. His passion for clinical training and education within all endovascular specialties is evident, making a significant impact on the industry.

Conclusion

Prof. Lars Lönn’s exceptional career ingredients are dedication, leadership, and innovation in interventional radiology. His commitment to advancing the field, coupled with a global impact on education and industry, positions him as an exemplary candidate for recognition within CIRSE. Prof. Lönn’s journey serves as an inspiration for the continued growth and evolution of interventional radiology.

The Greek and international medical community lost one of its esteemed members on June 22 with the passing of Prof. Dimitris Tsetis at the age of 62.

Prof. Tsetis undertook interventional radiology training focused on vascular and oncologic diseases in Royal London Hospital, Guys and St Thomas Hospital London, North Staffordshire & Royal Infirmary Hospitals, Stoke-on Trent and St George’s Hospital London, UK.

Dr. Tsetis was a Professor of Interventional Radiology and Head of the Unit of Interventional Radiology/ Department of Medical Imaging at Heraklion University Hospital. He contributed to several aspects of interventional radiology training at local, regional, and international levels. Prof. Tsetis introduced several endovascular IR techniques to the region of Crete, such as EVAR-TEVAR, arterial and venous PTA/stenting, CDT&PMT, carotid-renal-mesenteric stenting, emergency embolization, chemoembolization, and central venous line placement. He ran regular two-day courses in Heraklion for local and international vascular trainees covering specific topics such as central venous line placement, peripheral arterial recanalization, and hemodialysis fistula-graft procedures.

Prof. Tsetis gave more than 230 invited lectures in 21 countries and was a regular faculty member of the CIRSE Annual Congress, European Congress of Radiology, Balkan Congress of Radiology, European School of Interventional Radiology (ESIR), ESOR, LIVE, and IDKD.

He was the author of 169 publications in PubMed (4.887 citations in Google Scholar, H index of 37), and 17 book chapters. He took part of the writing groups for 13 CIRSE Standards of Practise Guidelines.

Prof. Tsetis’ research was focused on endovascular treatment and modern imaging of aortic aneurysms and peripheral arterial disease, emergency embolization in traumatic and non-traumatic bleeding, chemoembolization and ablation of liver tumors, central venous catheters, endovascular treatment of venous disorders, and radiation protection.

Prof. Tsetis served as a member of the CIRSE Executive Committee; as the Chairman of the Standards of Practise Committee and the Membership Committe. He was a member of the European Board of Interventional Radiology (EBIR) Oral Committee & EBIR Examiner, Local host and speaker/trainer for European School of Interventional Radiology (ESIR), member of the CIRSE Online Educational Committee  (CIRSE Academy& CIRSE Library), an Editorial Board Member of the second edition of the European Curriculum and Syllabus for Interventional Radiology (2017), and a member of CIRSE’s IR Curriculum & Syllabus Revision Task Force (2019). He also served as a CIRSE representative in the EU funded project ΜΕDRAPET (Medical Radiation Protection Education and Training).

Prof. Tseis has been the Chairman of the Balkan Society of Radiology and the ECR (European Congress of Radiology) Vascular Subcommitte. He was a member of the European Society of Radiology (ESR) Program Planning Committee for ECR 2015 and 2016 and a member of the Accreditation Council of Imaging – European Specialty Accreditation Board/ UEMS

Prof. Tsetis was an Editorial Board member of CIRSE’s official journal Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiology, an associate editor of the British Journal of Radiology, and  a Section Editor of Annals of Gastroenterology.