Written by: Mary Ashley Canevaro
Department contact: Shawna Masters
Cheri Canon, M.D., FACR, FAAWR, professor in the Department of Radiology, has been selected as the recipient of the 2020 Marie Sklodowska-Curie Award, the American Association for Women in Radiology’s (AAWR) highest honor. The award recognizes outstanding accomplishments in leadership, teaching, research, and scholarship that have impacted women in radiology professions.
Kristin Porter, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Radiology and AAWR president-elect nominated Canon for this selection. Porter says that Canon “epitomizes the spirit of this award through her exceptional service to AAWR and radiology with an emphasis on the advancement of women in radiology. She has made a lasting impact on women in radiology, medicine, and the broader community, including serving as vice president of the American College of Radiology (ACR), chancellor on the board, and previously as chair of the ACR Commission on Education. Dr. Canon is only the second woman president of SCARD (Society of Chairs of Academic Radiology Departments) since its inception in 1966.” Porter also says that Canon continues to trail blaze for women in radiology, and that she always sends the elevator back down; for example, through her co-creation of the nationwide Leading, Empowering and Disrupting (LEAD) Women’s Leadership Program. Last, Porter mentions that Dr. Canon actively champions women professionals across the Birmingham community, as well as nationally. “She is the past president of MOMENTUM, a Birmingham women’s leadership organization that empowers a diverse group of women to develop leadership skills that positively affect business, culture, and politics in Alabama.”
Canon is the Witten-Stanley Endowed Chair of Radiology and sits on UAB Medicine Joint Operating Leadership Council. When asked what this honor means to her, Canon says, “As a budding radiologist, I remember being so inspired by the prior recipients of the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Award. I was in the audience for many of these ceremonies. These women were larger than life and instilled in all of us such optimism and inspiration. I am so honored and humbled by this award, and I hope that, although now a virtual world, aspiring leaders will see someone that looks like her.”
Canon served as an oral examiner for the American Board of Radiology (ABR) for eleven years, a member of the Board of Trustees, and now sits on its Board of Governors. She was the vice chair of the American College of Radiology (ACR), chancellor on the board, and previously served as the chair of the ACR Commission on Education. She is the president of the Society of Chairs of Academic Radiology Departments (SCARD) and the co-creator of LEAD, a women’s leadership development program jointly developed by SCARD and GE Healthcare. Additionally, she sits on the boards of directors for the Association of University Radiologists, the Society of Abdominal Radiology, and The Academy of Radiology and Biomedical Research Academic Council. She is active in the Birmingham community, is a member of the Birmingham Rotary Club, and is the immediate past president for MOMENTUM, a Birmingham women’s leadership organization.
Canon will be recognized by the AAWR for her selection in November 2020.