Sessions | Workshops | Reception

Sessions

Open to all congress delegates

Women in IR session

Saturday, September 13, 11:30-12:30
Room 116

This session moderated by Otto van Delden and Irene Bargellini will provide insights into a variety of topics, including emotional intelligence, complications, and the importance of role models.

• Where are we now with WIR? – J. Chun
• Emotional intelligence – S. Rostampour
• Dealing with complications – S. Lojo Lendoiro
• Mentors and role models – M. Giroux

Women trainees in IR session

Monday, September 15, 17:30-18:30
News on stage area

Moderated by S. Simon and A. Bibok, this session will explore issues such as the importance of diversity and navigating early career challenges.

• The importance of diversity in IR – A. Bulum
• Practical advice for women in IR at the start of their careers – S. Protto
• Navigating early career challenges – G. Heymann
• The future of women in IR – A. Barnacle

Women in IR day at the Radiation Protection Pavilion

Monday, September 15, 12:00-14:00
Radiation Protection Pavilion

Monday’s programme of the Radiation Protection Pavilion will be dedicated to women in IR and women’s health. Moderators A. Trianni and E. Gizewskiwill will lead congress delegates through interesting talks and the RPP round table focussing on working in IR during pregnancy.

Women in IR workshops

Saturday, September 13, 2025
Foyer Rambla

• Workshop 1 (trainees and early career IRs): 09:00-11:30
• Workshop 2 (mid-career IRs): 16:15-18:45

Following the great success of the Women in IR workshop at CIRSE 2024, two workshops will be organized this year, targeting trainees and early career IRs as well as more experienced IR consultants.

Participants for the two workshops will be preselected as the number of participants for the two and a half-hour workshops will be kept small, to allow the group the space to explore the topics at hand in depth. This also allows the coach to design the session around participants’ needs.

Participation criteria:

• be female
• be registered for the 2025 CIRSE Annual Congress (valid registration by September 3 mandatory)
• submit an application for either of the workshops by September 3
• meet the specific professional experience criteria of the selected workshop (see workshop description)

Workshop 1: Women in IR workshop for trainees and early career IRs

At this workshop, an experienced executive leadership coach will work with trainees and early career consultant IRs, providing insights, tips and tricks to help women gain the confidence to lead with assurance, yet stay true to themselves. This highly interactive workshop focuses on empowering female IRs to exude confidence, command attention and captivate an audience when sharing ideas, speaking in meetings or presenting.

This workshop is designed for trainees and early-career female IRs who would like to reflect on how they practice and what may be holding them back.

You can apply for this workshop if you meet the above-mentioned participation criteria and if you are a trainee or consultant with up to 10 years of experience at consultant level.

Workshop 2: Women in IR workshop for mid-career IRs

Participants will work with a senior executive leadership coach to explore some of the challenges that they may be encountering as they progress in their career and to develop strategies to empower them in the workplace. This highly interactive workshop will focus on themes such as building trust and credibility, leading with authority and negotiating with confidence, with an emphasis on practical skills as well as mindset.

This workshop is new for 2025. It is designed for mid-career female IRs who have experience of some of the challenges at this career stage and who are looking for strategies to help them thrive.

You can apply for this workshop if you meet the above-mentioned participation criteria and if you have more than 5 years of experience at consultant level.

After the workshops, the participants will be able to enjoy a networking evening to exchange about their impressions and continue to network and connect.

Session coordinators

Dr Alex Barnacle
Interventional radiologist

Sarah Perugia
Executive leadership coach

Feedback and highlights from the 2024 workshop

“I am so impressed with this event. I joined the workshop because, not so long ago, one of my male colleagues had to give a presentation but he could not do it in the end, so the presentation was given to me and I found myself without any presentation skills and tools. This event is fantastic and I am so impressed with the organization, it’s excellent”

“It was an excellent workshop which really gave me awareness of ways to improve how I approach and better my presentation formal informal situations. Really great! Thank you, Sarah, Alex and CIRSE!”

“This was such an amazing topic and one of the first of its kind that I have seen at any IR conference. It focused on not the topic of medicine but developing you as a person, which some might say is more important. Kudos to CIRSE for supporting this.”

If you should have any questions regarding this workshop, please contact us at [email protected].

The workshop-related activities are kindly supported by Varian Medical Systems, Inc.

Women in IR reception

Monday, September 15, 18:30-20:00
Foyer Rambla

This reception will be hosted by Executive Committee members Laura Crocetti and Alex Barnacle and will provide participants with the opportunity to network, hear about inspiring career stories and meet with female IR leaders from around the world.

Please let us know by September 8, 2025, if you are planning to attend the reception!