Global IR summits offer insights and inspiration at CIRSE 2025

October 9, 2025

The Global IR Summit and Global IR Juniors Summit which took place at CIRSE 2025 attracted IRs from around the world to discuss some of the most pressing political issues in the field.

Global IR Summit

Twice a year, CIRSE partners with the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) to host the Global IR Summit at their annual congresses. The fourth edition of the summit kicked off at CIRSE 2025 with a spotlight on the theme of IR’s visibility, particularly among patients and medical students.

“We all have a common vision, so this is a wonderful opportunity for us all to come together and learn from each other,” said Dr. Robert Lookstein, president of SIR and a session moderator.

A celebratory day for IR

Dr. Lucas Moretti Monsignore, President of SOBRICE (Brazil), spoke on efforts to advance World Interventional Radiology Day. Along with SIDI President Dr. Ethel Rivas Zuleta (Latin America), Dr. Moretti Monsignore conceptualized the idea and suggested celebrating the day on January 16 to commemorate the first angioplasty performed in 1964 by Charles Dotter. SOBRICE then developed visual graphics and social media content to boost engagement across Latin America. Going forward, there are plans to develop the commemorative day into one that is endorsed by IR societies around the globe and to request recognition by the World Health Organization. “We must celebrate our specialty loudly and together,” he emphasized.

In an inspiring talk, Dr. Shyamkumar Nidugala Keshava from ISVIR (India) presented results from an internal poll asking if ISVIR members if they were aware of World Interventional Radiology Day. Out of 105 responses, none knew it already existed. He noted that a similar observance, National Without a Scalpel Day, exists and emphasized the importance of collaboration particularly with junior wings of IR societies in promoting and popularizing World Interventional Radiology Day.

Dr. Moretti Monsignore speaks on World Interventional Radiology Day.

Representing societies from around the world, the Global IR Summit speakers stand for a group photo.

Shared challenges and opportunities

Thirteen representatives spoke on IR’s visibility in their countries and regions, addressing areas such as specialty recognition status, training programme structures, medical student curriculum, intersociety activities, government relations, and public engagement efforts.

Creativity was particularly evident in public engagement efforts. For example, CCI (China) showcased their “Liver Cancer App” via WeChat that provides AI consultation on recommended treatments to patients, family, and healthcare professionals. JSIR (Japan) presented an entertaining Instagram video series called the “Needle Threading Challenge,” where a JSIR member must thread a needle as precisely as possible.

Prof. Charles Sanyika from SAFIRE (Africa) discussed the importance of African IR centres in supporting medical students and trainees, enabling them to stay on the continent and contribute to sustainable growth of the field. Training hubs, particularly in East Africa, were identified as a key focus, with promising progress already underway. SAFIRE also partnered with the Moroccan Society of Interventional Radiology (SMRI) to host their first joint congress in May 2025, and social media efforts are paying off. “We have instances where patients are more aware of interventional radiology than referring physicians because of social media,” said Prof. Sanyika.

The audience weighs in

Three questions were submitted from online participants that all related to, in Dr. Lookstein’s words, “what’s holding IR back.” The moderation panel, composed of CIRSE President Philippe L. Pereira, Prof. Robert Morgan, Dr. Lookstein, and Dr. Sanjeeva Kalva, addressed the questions.

Dr. Kalva described key audience “pillars”: the public and patients, policymakers and politicians, and physicians and physicians in training; the latter being particularly salient in his view. “These segments can all improve the visibility of IR,” he said. “All are interrelated for the development of IR, but if we don’t have enough trainees, the specialty will die very quickly. Everything will follow with them.”

Prof. Pereira built on Dr. Kalva’s point, adding that increasing the number of IRs can have a positive impact on work-life balance for all. Regarding how to attract new talent into the specialty, Prof. Pereira said, “What we can do very concretely for medical students is providing them free entrance at congresses, providing them with online education, and inviting them to each congress we have.”

Dr. Lookstein commented that IRs need to be more active in the out-patient setting. “When you’re meeting a patient in an urgent or emergent setting, they have no idea who you are,” he said. “Our ability to transform the specialty is to let go of that and embrace seeing patients in our office hours.”

CIRSE President Philippe L. Pereira addresses opportunities for boosting IR’s visibility.

Global IR Juniors Summit

This year’s Junior Global IR Summit—the first to be held onsite during a CIRSE annual congress—was equally engaging, and attendees filled up the entire room.

After an introduction to the CIRSE European Trainee Forum, which hosted this year’s summit, trainee and student committees from North America, Britain, India, Japan, Latin America, and the Middle East and North Africa each presented on their committee’s mission and activities. Dr. Rana Khafagy represented the Pan Arab Interventional Radiology Society (PAIRS), whose Residents, Fellows, and Students Committee originally proposed the idea of the Junior Global IR Summit and hosted the first edition in 2021.

“Seeing this initiative continue and grow is very rewarding,” Dr. Khafagy said. “PAIRS’ participation in the summit reflects our commitment to fostering collaboration among young IRs worldwide, and connecting with other junior sections continues to inspire new ideas and partnerships that strengthen the global IR community.”

Dr. Rana Khafagy presents on the Pan Arab Interventional Radiology Society (PAIRS).

Dr. Takesha Wada, representing JSIR’s junior branch J-CIRCLE in Japan, addresses a full house of attendees.

CIRSE Board Member Prof. Laura Crocetti delivered the keynote lecture on CIRSE’s vision for IR and the importance of the next generation of IRs in actively shaping the field’s future. “I can’t see any other discipline with so much variety. We are always at the forefront of innovation,” said Prof. Crocetti.

During the “A day/night in the life of an IR” session, IRs working in different regions across various areas including MSK, neuro, oncology, and more shared their schedules inside and outside of work, clinical practice workflows, and a particularly interesting clinical case they have encountered.

“Attending the Global IR Juniors Summit was a truly rewarding experience,” said Dr. Nico Vanlerberghe. “As a resident, I found it fascinating to learn how colleagues from different regions have pursued their goals, not only through education and training, but in some cases by establishing interventional radiology as a new specialty in their countries and even neighbouring regions.”

All the Global IR Juniors Summit speakers gather on the CIRSE 2025 stage.