Michael Chen, a neurointerventionist at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, USA, has been named the president of the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery (SNIS) and will now lead the society’s initiatives to advance excellence in minimally invasive neuroendovascular care, according to a press release. William Mack, a neurointerventionist at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles, USA, will remain on the board and serve as immediate past president.
“We know that tremendous disparities exist in our profession and in how our patients access treatment—addressing that is going to be a key focus of our work this year,” said Chen. “Our society, by its nature, is multidisciplinary and multispeciality, which allows us to not only challenge what we know, but really explore what we do not yet know. Ultimately, being a part of this society makes us all better physicians and better people.”
In addition to his clinical work at Rush, where he has been in practice for more than 14 years, Chen is also a professor of neurology, neurosurgery and radiology. His practice focuses on minimally invasive treatments of brain and spinal cord vascular disease.
Chen has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed scientific publications and also serves as a senior editor for the Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery (JNIS). He works actively as a scientific advisory board member for several patient advocacy foundations including the Niekro Foundation and the Bee Foundation. He has previously served on the Rush University Medical Staff Executive Committee as well.
J Mocco, an endovascular neurosurgeon at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, USA is now president-elect of SNIS, and Mahesh V Jayaraman, an interventional neuroradiologist at Rhode Island Hospital in Providence, USA, has been elected vice president. Furthermore, Jenny Tsai, a vascular and interventional neurologist at Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids, USA, is the society’s inaugural Diversity, Equity and Inclusion chair. Additional 2021 board members are listed below:
- Treasurer: Guilherme Dabus, Baptist Cardiac & Vascular Institute, Miami, USA
- Secretary: Michael T Froehler, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, USA
- Education chair: Peter Kan, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) Health, Galveston, USA
- Member-at-large—Neuroradiology: Reade A De Leacy, Mount Sinai Hospital
- Member-at-large—Neurosurgery: Stavropoula I Tjoumakaris, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, USA
- Member-at-large—Neurology: Sandra Narayanan, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA
- Second past president: Richard P Klucznik, The Methodist Hospital, Houston, USA
- Audit Committee chair: Justin F Fraser, University of Kentucky, Louisville, USA
- Governance Committee chair: Johanna T Fifi, Mount Sinai Hospital
