There is an all-star lineup of Plenary Session Speakers ready to take the stage at CAR 2026 and share their collective expertise in a variety of radiology’s subspecialty areas.

Dr. Frank Lexa is the first Plenary Session on the morning of Friday, April 17. Dr. Lexa is a neuroradiologist based out of Philadelphia at the University of Pennsylvania. His presentation focuses on the toll that stress and burnout take on radiologists and how to solve the problem of “work-work imbalance,” critical for several reasons.

“First, it affects radiologists and their practices. It can have significant effects on the well-being of physicians and not only harm their work performance but also impinge on their personal lives and harm their health,” he explained. “Second, it is a widespread and growing problem that is often mischaracterized and misunderstood. Third, if not addressed, it can lead to radiologists reducing their work commitments and, in some cases, leaving the profession. Beyond the personal and local implications, this can have marked negative effects on the profession contributing to the workforce shortages that we see in some nations.”

Most importantly, he hopes his presentation will show attendees how to recognize burnout and develop personal and group strategies to address the problem.

On the afternoon of Friday, April 17, Dr. Greg Ryamond will take the stage and share his insights and experiences from working in Africa aiding Mercy Ships, a medical NGO that offers medical training in different regions of the world. Dr. Raymond is a cardiothoracic radiologist and a partner at MIC Medical Imaging in Edmonton. 

“To whom much is given, much is expected, and although Canadian healthcare is under a significant amount of stress right now and we’re all working very hard, our problems are minuscule compared to the vast majority of people living in sub-Saharan Africa, many of whom have no healthcare whatsoever,” he said. “As such, if we are able, I think it is important for us to look at sharing our expertise and knowledge to improve the lives and health outcomes of patients in the developing world that are in desperate need of care.”

Dr. Raymond says he hopes audience members come away with a much better understanding of how important it is for Canadian radiologists to pursue global outreach and to know how rewarding and uplifting it is to do so.

“I want the attendees to know that they can make a difference in the healthcare of developing nations and that there are many opportunities to work on board the ship at Mercy Ships. Everyone I know who has done so has felt that it was one of the most positive and impactful experiences that they have ever encountered.”

The morning of Saturday, April 18 will begin with Dr. Geraldine McGinty’s Plenary Session entitled RadEqual: Leveraging the Power of our Community to Advance Our Profession. Dr. McGinty is a radiologist specializing in the detection and diagnosis of breast cancer and was the first woman elected as Chair of the American College of Radiology Board of Chancellors. Her presentation aims to reinforce the importance of bringing together the radiology community.

“In today’s busy complex world, it’s too easy for us to neglect the real value that convening around our shared interests and goals as radiologists delivers, both in terms of the care we give our patients but also our overall health and wellness as providers,” she said. 

“One of my favourite books is Priya Parker’s The Art of Gathering in which she says: ‘the first step in convening people meaningfully (is) committing to a bold, sharp purpose.’ I want the audience to see that it’s possible to combine a very relaxed organizational structure with a bold, sharp purpose and to create an initiative that has staying power and impact.”

The afternoon of Saturday, April 18 will feature a different kind of Plenary Session, bringing together insight from several clinical experts on one stage. The Panel Plenary Session, titled Change Management: Contrast Merdia Hypersensitivity Reactions, is a detailed extension of a webinar hosted by the CAR in May. The featured speakers are Dr. Andreu Costa, an academic abdominal radiologist at Dalhousie University, Dr. Adam Byrne, a specialist in allergy and immunology at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), and Dr. Magali Pham, a radiologist at the Montreal Heart Institute and specialist in cardiac and thoracic CT. The session will be moderated by Dr. Iain Kirkpatrick, President of the Canadian Society of Abdominal Radiology (CSAR).

The final Plenary Session of CAR 2026 takes place the morning of Sunday, April 19, delivered by Dr. Meghan Lubner, an abdominal radiologist and professor in the Department of Radiology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her presentation is a seminar on unknown GU cases.