The 112th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting returns to Chicago Nov. 29-Dec. 3 with leadership-focused plenaries, a first-ever hackathon and a new hub for startups.
Every patient journey runs through imaging at some point – the screening that catches a cancer early, the scan that guides a procedure, the follow-up that confirms a treatment worked. That reality is the organizing idea behind RSNA 2026: At the Center of Care, the Radiological Society of North America’s 112th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, set for Nov. 29 through Dec. 3 at McCormick Place in Chicago.
The theme explores the central role radiologists and imaging scientists play in delivering better patient care, and it runs through this year’s program, from the opening session to the exhibit floor. Technical exhibits will be open Nov. 29 through Dec. 2.
For the radiologists, physicists, technologists, imaging and IT leaders, and industry partners who make the trip each year, the meeting remains the field’s largest single gathering for research, education and emerging technology.
“It is the largest and most important meeting that we have in radiology,” says Vinay Prabhu, MD, MS, vice chair of RSNA’s Annual Meeting Program Planning Committee (AMPPC). “There is something for everyone.”
Plenaries Frame Radiology’s Expanding Role
The meeting opens Sunday, Nov. 29, at 4 p.m. CT in the Arie Crown Theater. RSNA President Jeffrey S. Klein, MD, a consultant in the Department of Radiology at the VA White River Junction Healthcare System, will deliver the President’s Address on radiology’s essential role in advancing patient care, population health and medical innovation.
“Radiologists and imaging scientists have always embraced new technology and worked to innovate on the imaging approach to disease, often working in interdisciplinary research teams and with industry to provide incremental improvements in the delivery of care,” Klein says.
The opening keynote follows. Jonathan S. Lewin, MD, professor of radiology, biomedical engineering, neurosurgery and health policy and management at Emory School of Medicine, will present “Seeing Beyond the Image: Leadership Lessons from the Reading Room to the Boardroom.” Lewin will examine how radiology’s core competencies position radiologists to lead organizations through complexity and change.
The plenary program continues through the week. Some sessions of note include:
- Monday, Nov. 30, 11-11:45 a.m.: Gwendolyn M. Bryant-Smith, MD, FACR, professor of radiology and chief of the Division of Breast Imaging at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, presents “Breast Radiology at the Center of Care: Advancing Patient-Centered Innovation, Collaboration, and Community Impact.”
- Tuesday, Dec. 1, 11 a.m.-noon: Mark P. Bernstein, MD, a trauma and emergency radiologist at Boston University School of Medicine/Boston Medical Center, presents “Mass Casualty Incidents: The Role of Radiology.”
- Tuesday, Dec. 1, 1:30-2:30 p.m.: Janice M. Newsome, MD, FSIR, professor of radiology and imaging sciences at Emory University School of Medicine, presents “From Pixels to People: Humanism, Equity, and AI in Interventional Radiology.”
Several sessions add a competitive edge:
- On Monday afternoon, moderator Amy K. Patel, MD, leads the Image Interpretation Session, where five imaging experts work through unknown cases across multiple subspecialties.
- On Wednesday, “It’s Complicated: Post-Treatment Cases” puts two teams of four internationally recognized radiologists head to head in a game show format, moderated by Ghaneh Fananapazir, MD, and Jessica G. Fried, MD.
The Tuesday RSNA/AAPM Symposium highlights the physicist-physician partnership that makes new imaging technology clinically useful. “From Concept to Clinic: How Physicist + Physician Collaboration Creates Value and Opportunities for Musculoskeletal Radiology” is moderated by Lifeng Yu, PhD, with speakers Jeffrey H. Siewerdsen, PhD; John A. Carrino, MD, MPH; and Grace J. Gang, PhD.
Innovation on the Floor and Beyond
New this year, RSNA is launching its inaugural “hackathon.” Imaging professionals will bring AI coding agents such as Claude, Codex, Copilot or Gemini and build working prototypes that address real-world imaging challenges. Winners will be recognized at an awards ceremony during the meeting.
The exhibit floor adds a new Innovation Park & Startup Showcase, a hub for emerging technologies where founders can connect with attendees and present their breakthroughs. Innovation Theater presentations round out the startup programming, aimed at members who are entrepreneurs, investors or innovation leaders.
Across the North and South exhibit halls, the RSNA Road Trip invites attendees to pause between booths with dogs to pet, golf swing practice, relaxation areas, innovation discussions and sustainability education.
Why Attendees Keep Coming Back
For many, the people matter as much as the program. Vivek Kalia, MD, MPH, MS, chair and medical director of radiology at Scottish Rite for Children in Dallas, has attended for nearly 20 years, starting in medical school. “It’s one of the most wonderful places to actually meet people who are your role models,” he says, calling the meeting “a great ‘leveler’ for people.”
Katja Pinker, MD, PhD, professor of radiology and division chief of breast imaging at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, sees particular value for the next generation. “For younger faculty, residents and trainees, this is where they actually can meet the people they are learning from,” says Pinker, who chairs the AMPPC Breast Imaging Subcommittee.
Prabhu, who also chairs the AMPPC Noninterpretive Skills & Practice Management Subcommittee, points to the meeting’s reach. “The networking is on a scale unlike any other radiology conference,” he says, adding that the program features “the most cutting-edge and hottest topics out there.”
Veterans agree that the key is planning rather than trying to do everything. Residents may focus on fundamentals and board review, while experienced attendees seek out specialized scientific sessions. “Learning to navigate the agenda, site and activities effectively and productively is a skill,” Kalia says. “You design the meeting however you want it to be. It’s like visiting New York City.”
Plan Ahead for RSNA 2026
Attendees can preview the program and build their schedules in Meeting Central. An on-demand orientation webinar, “Navigate RSNA 2026 with Confidence,” will be available in early November, covering transportation, arrival, venue navigation and Meeting Central tutorials.
Hotel reservations through onPeak, RSNA’s certified travel partner, offer savings of up to 30% at 60 preferred hotels, plus complimentary shuttle service and Metra train tickets to McCormick Place. The housing deadline is Nov. 11.
Off-hours events return as well. The RSNA 5K Fun Run, sponsored by Optum and benefiting the RSNA Research & Education Foundation, starts at 7 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 1, on the Chicago lakefront ($40 in advance through Nov. 28 at 5 p.m. CT; $50 onsite). RSNA After Dark takes over TAO Chicago in River North on Wednesday, Dec. 2, from 9 p.m. to midnight; tickets are $95 and the event often sells out.
Looking further ahead, RSNA is adjusting its calendar. Beginning in 2027, odd-year meetings will move two weeks earlier so they end before the Thanksgiving holiday. RSNA 2027 is scheduled for Nov. 14-18.
Registration and program details are available at rsna.org/annual-meeting. •
