The 17th Committee General Election of the Chinese Society of Radiology under the Chinese Medical Association was successfully held in Beijing on March 25, 2026. The Department of Imaging Medicine and Nuclear Medicine of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, achieved fruitful results, with multiple core experts elected to key positions of the new committee. These landmark accomplishments have set a new record for Hunan’s imaging medicine community, demonstrated robust vitality and outstanding progress in disciplinary development since the department’s founding in August 2025, and proved that Xiangya’s imaging discipline has firmly secured a place among the nation’s top academic echelons.

Under the unified planning of the department, Professor Liao Weihua, Deputy Director of the Department of Imaging Medicine and Nuclear Medicine, was elected Standing Committee Member of the Chinese Society of Radiology — the first expert from Hunan Province to receive this honor. Meanwhile, Professor Rong Pengfei, Department Director, and Professor Liu Jun, Deputy Department Director, were both elected Committee Members. This marks Xiangya Imaging’s official entry into the core national academic decision-making circle.

With three core leaders elected simultaneously, the department now boasts eight national-level committee members serving in branches of the Chinese Medical Association, further consolidating its core standing in national imaging medicine. This achievement is full recognition from the industry of the department’s comprehensive strength and cohesive teamwork.

In addition, during the general election of the Chinese Society of Imaging Technology held at the end of 2025, Chief Technician Zhou Gaofeng from the department was elected Standing Committee Member, making him the second Hunan expert to hold this position following Chief Technician Hu Pengzhi. This milestone realizes coordinated progress in both diagnostic radiology and imaging technology within the department, forming a dual-driven national academic backbone covering diagnosis and technology, and laying a solid foundation for all-round disciplinary advancement.

Founded in August 2025, the Department of Imaging Medicine and Nuclear Medicine integrates high-quality imaging resources across all directly affiliated and non-directly affiliated hospitals of the Xiangya system. Drawing on profound disciplinary foundations from the imaging and nuclear medicine departments of Xiangya Hospital, the Second Xiangya Hospital and the Third Xiangya Hospital, the team led by Department Director Professor Rong Pengfei has united closely to advance clinical services and pursue innovative breakthroughs, yielding remarkable outcomes in disciplinary construction.

Clinically, sub-specialties including neuroimaging and abdominal imaging feature distinct strengths, with diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities reaching national leading standards. In research, the department focuses on cutting-edge fields such as radiomics, artificial intelligence and molecular imaging, delivering a steady stream of national research grants and high-impact papers. For talent training, a well-structured, highly competent supervisor team has been built to cultivate core talent for the discipline’s long-term growth.

The election of multiple experts to key posts of the Chinese Medical Association stands as a concentrated demonstration of new heights reached in organized disciplinary development since the department’s establishment, and a major milestone for the overall advancement of imaging medicine and nuclear medicine in Hunan Province. It serves not only recognition of past achievements but also motivation for future progress.

Moving forward, taking this batch of national academic appointments as an important opportunity, the Department of Imaging Medicine and Nuclear Medicine will give full play to the guiding role of national academic platforms, deepen integrated development of clinical practice, scientific research and talent training, and continuously explore frontiers in medical imaging. The department strives to build a top-tier, world-renowned characteristic disciplinary highland, contributing more Xiangya wisdom and strength to safeguarding public health and boosting high-quality development of China’s imaging medicine and nuclear medicine industry.

First Reviewers: Rong Pengfei, Liu Hong, Cheng Wenwei

Second Reviewer: Li Ruijun

Final Reviewer: Huang Gengwen