Katja Pinker-Domenig Named Chief of Breast Imaging
Katja Pinker-Domenig, MD, PhD, has been named chief of the Division of Breast Imaging for the Department of Radiology at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (VP&S).
Pinker-Domenig is an internationally renowned physician-scientist and board-certified radiologist with expertise in breast imaging. She is currently the director of breast MRI and director of breast imaging research for the Department of Radiology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) and professor of radiology at Weill Cornell Medical College. She will begin her role as chief of breast imaging at Columbia on September 1, 2024.
Pinker-Domenig is widely recognized for her work advancing the field of breast MRI through the development, improvement, and implementation of MRI biomarkers for breast cancer diagnosis and prognostication. At MSK, she pioneered high-resolution high-field breast MRI and led the adoption of multiparametric breast MRI imaging into clinical care. Her current research is focused on advanced functional multimodality breast imaging and the implementation of artificial intelligence in the breast care paradigm, with the overarching goal of enabling precision medicine in breast care. As division chief, she will collaborate closely with the Columbia’s new Center for Innovation in Imaging Biomarkers and Integrated Diagnostics, a multidisciplinary center led by Despina Kontos, PhD, which is dedicated to developing and integrating quantitative imaging and non-imaging biomarkers for disease prediction.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Pinker-Domenig to our team at Columbia University and NewYork-Presbyterian,” said Ajay Gupta, MD, MS, professor of radiology and chair of the Department of Radiology at VP&S. “State-of-the-art breast imaging plays a crucial role in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of breast cancer, and we are confident that Dr. Pinker-Domenig will not only strengthen our efforts in this vital area, but also enable Columbia Radiology to be internationally recognized for its excellence in research to advance the field of breast imaging. Dr. Pinker-Domenig is deeply committed to developing a world-class breast imaging program capable of providing outstanding and compassionate care to all the patients we are privileged to serve.”
Pinker-Domenig is the author of more than 200 peer-reviewed papers in prestigious journals, and she has been recognized with numerous awards, including the prestigious Hans and Blanca Moser Award for Translational Cancer Research and the Carla Boetes Young Investigator Award of the European Society of Breast Imaging (EUSOBI). She is the editor-in-chief of the British Journal of Radiology Open, deputy editor of the Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging and section editor and reviewer for numerous medical journals.
Pinker-Domenig studied medicine at the Medical University of Vienna, Austria followed a residency in radiology in the Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy at the Medical University of Vienna, Austria. She completed a research fellowship at Barts and the London School of Medicine and Princess Grace Hospital in London, UK, and obtained a PhD at the Medical University of Vienna, as well as earning the European Diploma in Breast Imaging (EBBI) of the European Society of Breast Imaging. She joined MSK in 2014 as a visiting researcher and subsequently joined the faculty.
The VP&S Department of Radiology is a leader in medical imaging, collaborative research, and radiological education. The department’s distinguished history includes being among the first to establish fields central to the practice of modern medical imaging, including pediatric radiology and neuroradiology. The department provides medical imaging services throughout New York City and Westchester, with 10 clinical divisions that offer the full spectrum of diagnostic and therapeutic radiology. The department participates in a wide array of NIH-funded research initiatives and translational research collaborations with departments throughout Columbia University Irving Medical Center. The expertise, research opportunities, and advanced imaging technologies make the radiology educational experience at Columbia University among the most robust and competitive in the country.