The Society of Computed Body Tomography & Magnetic Resonance (SCBT-MR) has changed its name to the Society for Advanced Body Imaging (SABI ). Society leadership officially announced the change on October 21 at the Society’s annual meeting in Denver, noting that this new name more fully describes the group’s purpose of translating into practice leading-edge imaging innovations, regardless of modality.

“CT and MR remain the bedrock of the Society’s scientific focus,” says SABI President Susan M. Ascher, MD, Co-Chair of Abdominal Imaging in the Department of Radiology at Georgetown University Medical Center. “However, given the prominence that artificial intelligence, informatics and other modalities such as PET/CT and PET/MR are increasingly gaining in body imaging, we had long sensed that we had outgrown the ‘Computed Body Tomography’ and ‘Magnetic Resonance’ portions of our name. Our new name more accurately reflects what has always driven the Society, which is imaging innovation.”

Together with its new name, the Society for Advanced Body Imaging adopted the tagline “Leading Innovation into Practice” to communicate its core mission of harnessing the latest developments in imaging technology and techniques and applying them to improve body imaging and, ultimately, patient diagnoses. The credentials of the Society’s fellows will henceforth change from FSCBTMR to Fellow of the Society of Advanced Body Imaging, or FSABI, to match the new name.
“The Society for Advanced Body Imaging is a big tent imaging society. We serve body imagers at all career levels, and our interests are not limited by modality nor specific body system,” continues Dr. Ascher.

Because the Society’s purview extends to all areas of body imaging, it fosters cross-pollination of ideas between imagers of various body systems, incubating and catalyzing improved research and innovation in the imaging of many body parts. The group provides rich opportunities for its members and fellows to learn from each other, and more recently has sought to foster a more welcoming atmosphere for early career radiologists.

Originally formed as the Society of Computed Body Tomography, the group held its first scientific meeting in 1978 with 14 founding members who hailed from preeminent radiology departments such as those at the Mayo Clinic, Mallinckrodt at Washington University in St. Louis, Stanford University, and others. News of the Society spread as more radiologists became interested in using CT for body imaging purposes, and by the mid-1980s, thousands attended the group’s educational meetings. As it increased in importance to the field, “Magnetic Resonance” was later added to the Society’s name. However, other modalities and imaging-enhancing technologies continue to transform body imaging, leading the Society to realize that it would be advantageous to expand its scope more broadly to “advanced body imaging.”

The new name is merely the latest change the Society has implemented over the past several years. In 2012, the Society opened the scientific sessions at its annual meeting up to presentations from members, a privilege it had previously reserved to fellows. Earlier this year, the Society inaugurated a mentorship program involving early career radiologists who meet regularly with a fellow through the use of webinar technology.


About SABI
The Society for Advanced Body Imaging (SABI) is the preeminent professional group for the innovation and translation of cutting-edge technology into the practice of body imaging. Formed in 1978 as the Society of Computed Body Tomography and later known as SCBT-MR, the Society serves radiologists who strive to be on the forefront of the latest imaging innovations and thereby also help shape the future of body imaging. In an engaging and inclusive environment, SABI fosters the professional development of its members through association and education.

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