Etta D. Pisano Explained

Etta D. Pisano
Birth Place:New York City, USA
Education:AB, Philosophy, 1979, Dartmouth College
MD, 1983, Duke University School of Medicine
Spouse:Jan Kylstra
Children:4
Workplaces:Medical University of South Carolina
UNC School of Medicine

Etta Driscoll Pisano is an American breast imaging researcher. She is a professor in residence of radiology at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and chief research dean at the American College of Radiology. In 2008, she was elected a member of the National Academy of Medicine.

Early life and education

Pisano was born in New York City but raised in the suburbs of Philadelphia.[1] She grew up the oldest of seven children and after her mother died when she was a teenager, decided to pursue a career in medicine.[2] Her father, a radiologist, frequently took her around his hospital and introduced her to the women doctors working there.[3] Pisano received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from Dartmouth College before enrolling at the Duke University School of Medicine.[1] When discussing with her guidance counsellor about medical school options, she was informed that she was "wasting her time" due to her gender. She ignored the advice and applied to both medical and law schools, being accepted into every one including Harvard Law.[3] She chose to attend Duke and earned membership into the Alpha Omega Alpha Society, where she also met and married her husband Jan Kylstra.[2] Pisano completed her medical residency in radiology at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and served as their Chief of Breast Imaging and Instructor in Radiology for one year.[4]

Career

Pisano left Beth Israel to become an assistant professor in radiology at the UNC School of Medicine in 1989 and served as their Chief of Breast Imaging until 2005.[4] In her last year as chief, Pisano was the principal investigator of the Digital Mammographic Imaging Screening Trial, a study on the importance of digital mammography for young women.[5] She led cancer studies across the United States, Canada, and Germany which found that digital mammography is more accurate in women under the age of 50.[6] Upon stepping down as chief, Pisano was appointed the vice dean for academic affairs[7] and granted the title of Kenan Professor of Radiology and Biomedical Engineering.[8] She was later named the inaugural director of UNC's Center for Research Excellence in Breast Cancer Imaging in 2007.[9] The following year, she was named the principal investigator of a five-year Clinical and Translational Science Award grant after Paul Watkins stepped down.[10] As a result of her research, Pisano was elected a member of the National Academy of Medicine that same year.[7] Pisano ended her tenure at UNC in 2010 by accepting a deanship and vice president position at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). She became the first female to lead the MUSC College of Medicine and one of the few women who are deans of medical schools in the country.[11]

Pisano worked at MUSC from 2010 until 2014, when she stepped down to focus on breast cancer imaging research.[12] At the time, she was considered one of the top 10 experts in women's imaging and one of the 20 most influential people in radiology.[13] The following year, Pisano was appointed the vice-chair of Research in the Department of Radiology at her alma mater, BIDMC.[14] In this role, she led the first randomized trial to compare two types of digital mammography for breast cancer screening.[15] In 2017, she was named the American College of Radiology's (ACR) chief science officer of their Center for Research and Innovation.[16] Pisano stayed in this role for one year before becoming the ACR's first female chief research officer.[17]

Personal life

Pisano and her husband have four children together.[3]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Etta D. Pisano, MD . acadrad.org . August 5, 2020.
  2. Web site: Gold Medalist Tribute-Etta D. Pisano, MD . aur.org . August 5, 2020 . December 4, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201204021507/https://www.aur.org/uploadedFiles/Archives/Pisano-Tribute.pdf . dead .
  3. Web site: McNichol . Beth . A Brilliant Impatience . August 6, 2020 . 2–4 . 2010.
  4. Web site: Dr. Pisano accepts appointment at the Medical University of South Carolina . unchealthcare.org . August 6, 2020 . April 1, 2010 . August 9, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200809151339/http://news.unchealthcare.org/som-vital-signs/2010/vital-signs-march-31-2010/dr-etta-pisano-accepts-appointment-at-MUSC . dead .
  5. Web site: New Breast-imaging Technology Could Save More Women's Lives . sciencedaily.com . August 6, 2020 . July 23, 2004.
  6. Web site: Digital Mammography More Accurate in Younger Women . cancernetwork.com . August 6, 2020 . October 1, 2005.
  7. Web site: UNC's Pisano, Rimer elected to Institute of Medicine . news.unchealthcare.org . August 6, 2020 . 2008 . September 28, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150928153501/https://news.unchealthcare.org/som-vital-signs/2008/october/uncs-pisano-rimer-elected-to-institute-of-medicine . dead .
  8. Web site: UNC Faculty Members Named to Distinguished Professorships . newswise.com . August 6, 2020 . February 9, 2006.
  9. Web site: UNC and GE Healthcare partner to create Center for Research Excellence in Breast Cancer Imaging . news.unchealthcare.org . August 6, 2020 . March 5, 2007 .
  10. Web site: Dr. Pisano to serve as Principal Investigator for CTSA . news.unchealthcare.org . August 6, 2020 . 2008 . September 21, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200921005555/http://news.unchealthcare.org/som-vital-signs/2008/october/dr-pisano-to-serve-as-principle-investigator-for-ctsa . dead .
  11. Web site: Etta Pisano Leaving for Deanship in S.C. . alumni.unc.edu . August 6, 2020 . April 1, 2010.
  12. Web site: Barker . Ashley . MUSC president to choose new dean to replace Pisano in College of Medicine . scbiznews.com . August 6, 2020 . September 8, 2014 . January 10, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230110135330/https://scbiznews.com/news/education/49092/ . dead .
  13. Web site: Where Are They Now? . radnet.bidmc.harvard.edu . August 6, 2020.
  14. Web site: Radical Views Medical Center from the Department of Radiology . radnet.bidmc.harvard.edu . August 6, 2020 . November 2015.
  15. Web site: TMIST breast cancer screening trial begins to enroll nearly 165,000 women . medicalxpress.com . August 6, 2020 . September 26, 2017.
  16. Web site: Forsythe-Stephens . Keri . Etta Pisano Named ACR Center for Research and Innovation Chief Science Officer . 24x7mag.com . August 6, 2020 . September 1, 2017.
  17. Web site: Rohman . Melissa . ACR appoints 1st female chief research officer, Etta Pisano . healthimaging.com . August 6, 2020 . October 4, 2018.