ASNR Member Spotlight: Dr. Yasser A. Abbas
Yasser A. Abbas, MD, PhD, is Professor of Radiodiagnosis at Ain Shams University-Cairo. He is also the Director of MRI section at Misr Radiology Center, also in Cairo.
Dr. Abbas has been working in neuroradiology for more than 25 years. He completed his fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Dr. Abbas has been a member of ASNR since 2007 and is a member of the Council of Delegates, representing Egypt for the Pan-Arab Neuroradiology Society.
Dr. Abbas was nominated by the ASNR Member Services Team for the Member Spotlight for his ongoing dedication to continuing neuroradiology education.
Why did you join ASNR?
Because it is the most prestigious and the most scientifically beneficial society of neuroradiology worldwide.
How have your life experiences shaped your approach to your career?
As a university professor I like teaching very much, especially high-end, complex neuro cases to my students. As a scientist and researcher I try to always be on top of and using state of the art neuroradiology techniques up to PET/MR, and as a co-owner of private Radiology center I try to provide the best service to my patients especially neuro referrals.
Who/what have inspired you over the years?
My parents as both of them were University professors; my Egyptian radiology professors, especially the late Professor Dr. Hoda Eldeeb; my American mentors at University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia where I spent two years attending an MR fellowship, especially Professors Herbert Kressel and Robert Grossman; and last but not least my partners especially Professor Wahid Tantawy. I was also inspired by how we as neuroradiologists can help in the prompt diagnosis of neuro cases helping a lot of patients get their proper care.
The Member Services Team nominated you for your dedication to continuing neuroradiology education. Can you talk about how you approach continuing education and how you use what you learn at the ASNR annual meetings and apply it to your practice?
I’ve realized for a long time the importance of CME and so for the past 25 years, I have attended most of our local Egyptian radiology conferences, meetings, workshops, etc. Moreover, I have attended most of ASNR, ASFNR and ISMRM annual meetings, and some workshops as well, then upon my return to Egypt, I would put what I learnt into immediate practice in two tracks:
- First: Is by applying the high-end MR techniques like diffusion, DT with Tractography, Perfusion, Spectroscopy, Functional MR both paradigms based & resting state, VWI, PET/MR, etc.
- Second: Is by using these techniques besides conventional MR before and after IV contrast in tailoring our neuro MR exams to the patient clinical need by establishing dedicated Neuro MR protocols for: stroke, epilepsy, brain tumors, demyelinating diseases, neurodegenerative disorders, dementia, etc.
This was a new approach that the referring clinicians of neurologists, neurosurgeons, neurooncologists and even psychiatrists like a lot and got on board with me and the positive feedback was enormous.
