Elizabeth Krupinski: The 2023 SPIE Harrison H. Barrett Award in Medical Imaging

Elizabeth Krupinski, professor and vice chair for research in the Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences at Emory University School of Medicine, is a pioneer in the field of medical image perception, raising awareness that changes in technology alone will not reduce the error rates seen in the radiological clinic. Covering human factors in radiology, she has studied the effects of fatigue on radiologists’ performance, and assessed the importance of providing them with better knowledge of the patient in their interpretation of the case. As an experimental psychologist, she has studied why images are viewed and interpreted differently by different people. Her research seeks to improve our understanding of the perceptual and cognitive mechanisms underlying the interpretation of medical images in order to reduce errors, improve training, and optimize the reading environment, thereby improving patient care and outcomes.

An SPIE Fellow, Krupinski was one of the original organizers of the Image Perception, Observer Performance, and Technology Assessment (IPOPTA) conference at SPIE Medical Imaging, and she has served as a committee member and co-chair of IPOPTA since its inception. She has also served as the chair for SPIE Medical Imaging. Krupinski has authored several SPIE proceedings papers, taught SPIE courses, and is an associate editor for SPIE’s Journal of Medical Imaging.

“Throughout her career, Dr. Krupinski has been a pioneer in advancing the field of image science and medical imaging,” says SPIE Fellow Robert M. Nishikawa, professor in the Department of Radiology at University of Pittsburgh. “She quickly became a leader in the field of visual perception. In 1997, just five years after receiving her PhD, she helped to create the Medical Image Perception Society (MIPS) and became its first and only president. She has also played a leading role in the deployment and evaluation of telemedicine. She, like most scientists, writes papers and gets grants; but unlike most scientists, Dr. Krupinski goes all in. She volunteers to serve on committees, reviews a large number of papers submitted to journals, serves as associate editor on journals, serves on study sections for NIH and many other organizations that fund scientific research, and she contributes heavily to lead the direction of the field. Through her research and several leadership roles, Dr. Krupinski has led and helped shape the field of medical imaging and has had an overwhelming positive impact on the field. She has been a role model not just for women in science, but for all starting scientists in the field.”

Meet the other 2023 SPIE Society Award recipients.

Read more about Elizabeth Krupinski and the SPIE Harrison H. Barrett Award in Medical Imaging.