OAMRS 2026 Education Summit - One Patient, Many Perspectives

November 14, 2026 5.5 CE hours 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM ET

Hosted by OAMRS

Registration and event changes are handled on oamrs.org. Everything you register for is reflected in your member record.

About this event

Join OAMRS virtually on Saturday, November 14 for a full day event dedicated to expanding your knowledge and insight into several facets of the Medical Radiation Sciences Profession. This year's OAMRS Education Summit presented in partnership with The Ottawa Hospital, features a diverse and highly engaging lineup of expert speakers sharing their knowledge on a wide range of topics.

Program accreditation with ASRT has been applied for. Participants who attend this program will receive a certificate of attendance from OAMRS containing 5.5 continuing education hours and 5.5 ASRT Category A approved credits. This program and associated credits are recognized by ARDMS.

*Please note that virtual program fees are non-refundable

*Please note full attendance to this event is required to receive CME and ASRT credits.

What Your Colleagues Have Said About Our Education Summits:

“The online Symposium was engaging and well-organized, offering insightful presentations and valuable perspectives. It was a great opportunity to learn and be inspired from the comfort of home.”
—A.T., Ottawa, ON

"The Education Summit was excellent. It provided information that is relevant but not obvious to us in our everyday working. It helps to inspire us to be better technologist in the field and find way to continually provide the patient service and care working with the new technologies available. Being critical thinkers is key to our evolution into the years ahead for health care and services in DI."
—C.Y., Toronto, ON

“This was a really informative and engaging summit - great speakers and content. Thanks for providing a forum for this discussion of future innovations, patient and self care, and how we can move medical imaging forward as individuals and as a profession."
—A., Ottawa, Ontario

Programme

11 entries

9:00 AM
Welcome and Opening Remarks - Ontario Association of Medical Radiation Sciences
9:05 AM
Introduction to Fictional Patient Case

Hema Merai, BSc (Hon), MRT (N), CTIC (NM), Profession Leader, Medical Imaging, The Ottawa Hospital Hema Merai is the Profession Leader for Medical Imaging at The Ottawa Hospital, a role she has held since June 2024. A Nuclear Medicine Technologist by background, she has worked at TOH for more than 28 years, contributing to clinical practice, education, professional development, onboarding, quality and safety initiatives, and learner pathway development. She collaborates with leaders, clinicians, educators, regulators, academic institutions, and external partners to strengthen Medical Imaging practice and clinical education. Hema is also a long-standing volunteer leader with the Ontario Association of Medical Radiation Sciences (OAMRS) and is currently the Chair of Board of the OAMRS.
Presentation Objectives:
During this event, we will follow a fictional patient through their healthcare journey, from initial presentation and assessment through treatment, follow-up, and recovery. The case is hypothetical and is designed to demonstrate the application of relevant concepts in a realistic clinical scenario. This will be a multi-modality and multidisciplinary analysis chronologically segmented into each presentation.
9:15 AM
When a Shadow Tells a Story, Chest X-ray and CT

Dr. Hamid Bayanati, MD, Associate Professor, University of Ottawa
Dr. Hamid Bayanati is an associate professor in the Department of Radiology at the University of Ottawa and a well-respected thoracic radiologist in the Department of Medical Imaging at The Ottawa Hospital. Dr. Bayanati has authored numerous high-impact peer-reviewed publications and national clinical practice guidelines, frequently serving as senior or corresponding author, and is an active investigator and supervisor in clinical research. His professional service includes leadership roles within provincial cancer advisory committees and national thoracic radiology guideline groups, reflecting his sustained contributions to clinical excellence, education, research, and policy in thoracic imaging.
Dr. Jose Aquino, MD, The Ottawa Hospital
Born and raised in Halifax. Dr Aquino completed medical school at Dalhousie University, followed by a "rotating internship "at the University of Ottawa and then Residency training in Diagnostic Radiology. Following completion of the Residency, Dr. Aquino then underwent a fellowship in Angio/Interventional Radiology, also at University of Ottawa. After completing his training he joined the faculty of Radiology at the University of Ottawa, and became part of the medical staff at the Ottawa Civic Hospital. He is still active practicing Radiology at the Ottawa Hospital and an active member of the Faulty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa.
Presentation Objectives:
- Identify 3 findings on a CT scan of the chest which are highly suggestive of primary lung cancer.
- Identify 3 absolute and/or relative contraindications for performing an imaging guided biopsy of a lung nodule/mass.
- Identify 3 complications of image guided lung nodule mass biopsy.
10:00 AM
How PET/CT Changes the Story
Dr. Alireza Khatami, MD, MSc., University of Ottawa
Dr. Alireza Khatami is an Assistant Professor at the University of Ottawa and serves as the Nuclear Medicine Residency and Fellowship Program Director within the Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging in the Department of Medicine at The Ottawa Hospital. He is also a Clinical Investigator in Cancer Therapeutics and Imaging at The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. His academic and clinical work spans nuclear medicine, molecular imaging, and cancer therapeutics.
Presentation Objectives:
- Describe the role of FDG PET/CT in NSCLC staging, including key findings, common pitfalls, and limitations in assessing nodal and distant metastatic disease.
- Explain how PET/CT findings influence cancer stage, biopsy-site selection, and multidisciplinary treatment planning.
- Identify patient-related factors that affect PET/CT preparation, image quality, and interpretation, and describe strategies to support patients with complex care needs.
10:45 AM
Morning Break
11:00 AM
The Role of Ultrasound in Diagnostic Work Up and Therapeutic
Management of Lung Cancer
Sohail Anwar, DMS, MRT-T, The Ottawa Hospital (TOH)
Sohail is a Senior Sonographer at The Ottawa Hospital, where he has worked since January 2002. He performs all types of ultrasound examinations, including musculoskeletal (MSK) ultrasound. He has been a Clinical Instructor in the Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS) Program at Algonquin College since 2014. He is also an Anatomy Instructor/Facilitator at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa. Sohail supervises Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) sessions for medical students and Master’s students in Anatomical Sciences. He is a frequent presenter at Sonocan conferences and educational events at The Ottawa Hospital.
He has contributed to publications in the University of Ottawa journal and the Canadian Journal of Medical Sonography (CJMS).
Dr. Robert Lim, MB, MCh, BAO, The Ottawa Hospital

Dr. Robert Lim is an assistant professor in the Department of Radiology at the University of Ottawa. He is from Regina, Saskatchewan and graduated medical school from The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. He is the Section Head of Cardiac Imaging in the Department of Medical Imaging at TOH and the codirector of Cardiac Radiology at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. He has served on the Canadian Society of Thoracic Radiology Executive Committee and has contributed to multiple Canadian radiology clinical practice guidelines.
Presentation Objectives:
- Describe the gross anatomy of the respiratory system
- Explain the indications of chest ultrasonography
- Demonstrate scanning techniques and probe selection
- Describe diagnostic and therapeutic procedures under ultrasound guidance
11:45 AM
Looking Beyond The Primary Tumor: MRI in the Evaluation of CNS Metastases
Dr. Maria Lucia Brun-Vergara, MD, Assistant Professor, The Ottawa Hospital
María Lucía Brun-Vergara, MD, is an Assistant Professor of Radiology and Neuroradiologist at the University of Ottawa/Ottawa Hospital in Canada. After completing medical school at the Universidad de los Andes in Colombia, she finished her radiology residency at Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá, where she was recognized as Resident of the Year. She subsequently completed a two-year fellowship in neuroradiology at the University of Ottawa, where she was awarded Fellow Teacher of the Year. In 2025, she received the Neuroradiology Staff Teacher of the Year award. These teaching distinctions throughout her training and early faculty career reflect her strong passion for radiology education and her commitment to mentoring and educating the next generation.
Presentation Objectives:
- Identify common MRI findings associated with intracranial metastatic disease
- Discuss the advantages and limitations of MRI in evaluating CNS involvement
- Recognize common patterns of CNS involvement in patients with lung cancer
12:30 PM
Lunch Break
1:00 PM
Turning a Plan into Care: Radiation Therapy for Metastatic Cancer

Marina Tusz, MRT(T), Radiation Therapist, TOH Cancer Center
Marina graduated as a Radiation Therapist from Laurentian University/Michener Institute in 2022 and completed her clinical placement in Thunder Bay. She worked as a Radiation Therapist in Halifax, Nova Scotia, for about two years, and then in New Zealand for about two years. She has been working at The Ottawa Hospital since April.
Presentation Objectives:
- Explain role(s) of a Radiation Therapist in a patient's cancer care plan.
- Discuss the technology used to help us make medical considerations in a patient's treatment.
- The impact of radiation therapy treatments on a patient and how we can help improve care as a team.
1:45 PM
Patient Feedback: The Impact of MRT & DMS Communication and Relational Skills
Erin Brown, Vice President, People Services & Strategy & Director. Regional Services & Partnerships (Interim) | Academic Coordinator & Faculty

Erin Brown, MRT(R), MA (Leadership) is a Medical Radiation Technologist, healthcare executive, and educator whose career bridges frontline clinical practice, health-system leadership, and higher education. She serves as Vice President, People Services & Strategy at Lennox and Addington County General Hospital and Interim Director of Partnerships for the Greater Napanee Health Home, and is the Academic Coordinator and a faculty member in the Medical Radiation Technology program at Loyalist College, where she has led program development and accreditation, and regional clinical partnerships. Erin began her career as a frontline MRT in British Columbia and Ontario, with experience in general radiography, mammography, interventional radiology, and bone densitometry. She is the author of Professional Relationships in Medical Radiation Technology – Canadian Edition, an open-education textbook developed to strengthen professional, ethical, relational, and culturally responsive practice among future MRTs. Erin holds a Master of Arts in Leadership from the University of Guelph and is currently completing a Master of Communications Management at McMaster University.
Presentation Objectives:
- Analyze patient feedback and key touchpoints across the imaging journey
- Differentiate between MRT intention and patient or caregiver perception
- Apply practical communication and relational strategies
- Use patient experience and feedback as a quality-improvement tool
2:30 PM
Open Discussion & Conclusion - Ontario Association of Medical Radiation Sciences
Hema Merai & Christina Perris

Schedule, speakers and biographies as published on oamrs.org. Times are Eastern.