The Department of Radiology has announced Reza Imani-Shikhabadi, MD, MS, Assistant Professor of Clinical Radiology, as Associate Program Director for the Integrated Interventional Radiology (IR) Residency Program.
He joins Ryan Muller, MD, IR Residency Program Director, and Tammy Hoyt, MD, Associate IR Residency Program Director, to lead the educational and professional development of current IR trainees, as well as the recruitment and mentorship of medical students and residents in IR.
“Dr. Hoyt and I are thrilled for Dr. Imani to join us in our collective efforts to establish Vanderbilt's Integrated IR residency as a world-class program fitting of the incredible residents we are privileged to train,” said Dr. Muller. “His motivation for improving the resident educational experience and establishing bonds with younger trainees to help them grow in their own passion for the field has made it clear that his skillset is best served in IR education leadership.”
In 2019, following completion of his fellowship training in Vascular and Interventional Radiology at Vanderbilt, Dr. Imani joined faculty in the IR section. In his time as a fellow and faculty, he has built rapport with faculty, trainees and staff in radiology, as well as those in other Vanderbilt training programs. A number of radiology colleagues have said that Dr. Imani’s experience, coupled with his expressed interest and dedication to radiology education, have made him well positioned for the role of Associate Program Director.
“Dr. Imani’s passion for teaching and working with residents and medical students has always been evident, and there is no doubt that the program will benefit from his personal understanding of the challenges that our trainees face,” said LeAnn Stokes, MD, Associate Professor of Clinical Radiology and IR Section Chief. “This is a perfect opportunity for him to become a strong mentor and advocate for our talented group of integrated residents, and I think he will be a huge asset to our program as we look to encourage people to consider a career in IR.”
The Vanderbilt Integrated IR Residency Program was launched in 2016 as one of the first programs of its kind in the country. There are currently 14 residents training in the Integrated IR Residency Program, and its first cohort of trainees is expected to graduate this year.
“As Associate Program Director, my goal is to build upon the satisfaction of our residents by working with chief residents and our faculty administrators to advocate for our trainees and ensure continued success of our residency program,” said Dr. Imani. “I also want to focus on furthering our department’s mission of having a more diverse and inclusive training program so that we can better serve our growing and diverse patient population.”
Dr. Imani completed his medical degree from the Howard University College of Medicine in Washington, D.C., and his residency in diagnostic radiology at Virginia Commonwealth University. He is a member of the Society of Interventional Radiology, Radiological Society of North America and the American College of Radiology.
