The Stanley S. Siegelman Leadership Fund
From the Radiology Department Newsletter, Editor: Mary McAllister

The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science has launched a campaign to honor one of Johns Hopkins’ most outstanding teachers, mentors, and leaders— Stanley S. Siegelman, M.D.


Dr. Stanley S. Siegelman

To recognize Dr. Siegelman for his dedication to advancing the field of radiology, the department established The Stanley S. Siegelman Leadership Fund— a philanthropic fund to provide faculty support to those who embody Dr. Siegelman’s commitment to education and training, clinical service, and scholarly achievement. The goal is to raise $2.5 million so the Fund can become an endowed professorship in Dr. Siegelman’s name at Johns Hopkins.

“This is a formal recognition of Stan’s leadership and the impact he’s had across many different areas in the department,” said Dr. Jonathan Lewin, Chairman of the Radiology department. "The campaign was initiated with the goal of creating a legacy to Stan Siegelman’s unique role in radiology at JHU and beyond. He has had more impact on the field of radiology than almost anyone else through all the people he’s trained.”

Indeed, Dr. Siegelman’s favorite role, in his illustrious career, is his service as the Residency Program Director at Johns Hopkins. His career began with his attendance at Cornell University and the State University of New York School of Medicine. After an internship at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington D.C., he spent three years in internal medicine at the Fort Meade Army Hospital in Maryland. Dr. Siegelman completed his residency training in radiology at Montefiore Hospital in New York. There, he honed his clinical skills and gained national reputation as an astute practitioner. In 1973, Dr. Siegelman was recruited by Johns Hopkins to be the Director of the Division of Diagnostic Radiology, to which he brought energy, enthusiasm, and a love for teaching residents and medical students.

“I tell them at the beginning that the area of knowledge they have to master is a vast body of water, and every day, they build little islands," Dr. Siegelman said. "They’ll see a patient with a specific disease and learn about it and that’s one little island. Then, they build on that every day. Finally, they’ll reach the point where there’s more land than water, and at the end, they’re standing on solid land."

Dr. Siegelman has put many residents on solid ground, as exemplified by the many awards the residency program has won over the years. In 1976, Dr. Siegelman was awarded the George J. Stuart Award for Medical Student Teaching, given annually to an outstanding teacher of clinical medicine. The department’s residency program often wins awards for the quality and caliber of its program.

“Stan’s commitment has allowed him to be the longest-serving program director anywhere in the country,” Dr. Lewin notes. Elliot Fishman, Director of Diagnostic Imaging and Body CT, says, “Stan is the ultimate mentor, and he’s what we all aspire to be.”

From 1985 to 1997, Dr. Siegelman served as editor of Radiology journal. Under his leadership, it became the most frequently cited radiology publication and the Diagnostic Imaging journal with the highest impact factor. Dr. Siegelman also recruited and mentored a corps of reviewers from other countries to foster the international scope of the Radiology journal. In recognition of his contributions, he was awarded honorary memberships in the European Association of Radiology, the French Society of Radiology and the German Radiological Society.

Dr. Siegelman has been honored with many awards for his career achievements, including a Gold Medal from the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) the American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS), and the Chicago Radiological Society.

During his 35-year career at Hopkins, Dr. Siegelman initiated and directed Hopkins’ first body computed tomography (CT) scanner program, and was instrumental in using cutting-edge technology to image and describe, for the first time, the CT features of many diverse clinical pathologies. Dr. Siegelman’s pioneering research in the clinical application of CT established it as an essential diagnostic tool throughout the world.

His encyclopedic medical knowledge is famous. “He has the most remarkable intellectual curiosity of anyone I have ever met and delights in continuing to learn new things," says Dr. Lewin. "He’s an inspiration to everyone in the department.”

Dr. Siegelman attributes his extensive knowledge to genetics. “My mother is 99 years old and she never forgets anything," he says. "And my sons have even better memories than my mother or I.” His sons and grandchildren are a source of pride for him. He was married to his wife Doris for 39 years until her death in 1995. He is now married to Merle Ann and, together, they have five children and ten grandchildren. In his spare time, Dr. Siegelman likes to swim, do crossword puzzles, and is a big sports fan, but he has no plans to retire to pursue those interests. “Radiology has seen such immense technical innovations in the last decade that the practice of radiology is so much more enjoyable. Patient information is now electronic, the images are on file so they can be compared to previous images, and these innovations have really enriched the practice of radiology.”

The same could be said of Dr. Siegelman himself—he has enriched the teaching and the practice of radiology, and this legacy will be continued through the Stanley S. Siegelman Leadership Fund.

Please consider honoring Dr. Siegelman through your gift to the Stanley S. Siegelman, M.D., Leadership Fund. Your contribution will ensure that his legacy continues at Hopkins for generations to come.