Dr Stephen Harden elected as RCR President
We’re delighted to announce that Dr Stephen Harden has been elected as the incoming RCR President. Dr Harden will officially start from 1 September 2025, when he will take over from the current President, Dr Katharine Halliday, for the next three years.
As our next President, Dr Harden will play a crucial role in leading the RCR, providing strategic direction and acting as our primary spokesperson.
Dr Harden is the current Vice-President, Clinical Radiology, at the RCR, where he will remain in post until September 2025. He was previously Medical Director for Education and Training in Clinical Radiology from 2019-2022, chaired the RCR Clinical Radiology Professional Learning and Development sub-committee (2017-2019) and has been an FRCR Part 2A examiner.
Dr Harden said: "It’s a huge honour to have been elected as the next President of The Royal College of Radiologists. I look forward to working with RCR Fellows and members across Clinical Oncology and Clinical Radiology as we drive the highest standards of patient care within our specialties.
"These are really difficult times for our profession and there will be challenging years ahead. However, I will ensure we use our growing influence to build on the progress we have made in training, workforce expansion and equipment modernisation, so we can maximise the benefits of newer techniques and innovation."
Dr Harden is a consultant in cardiothoracic radiology at University Hospital Southampton, having been appointed in 2005. He completed undergraduate medical training at the University of Cambridge and St Thomas’s Hospital in the University of London.
He trained in clinical radiology in Wessex and undertook further training in Germany and the USA. His consultant clinical practice includes cardiac and thoracic cross-sectional imaging and PET/CT.
Previously, Dr Harden was President of the British Society of Cardiovascular Imaging, the first RCR Travelling Cardiac Professor, and the British Institute of Radiology Vice President. He has also been the senior cardiac editor for the British Journal of Radiology.
Dr Katharine Halliday, RCR President, said: “I am delighted that Stephen has been elected to be the next RCR President. The depth of his previous experience means that he is ideally suited to lead the College through the next three years which are likely to be exciting and challenging in equal measure.
“Well done to Stephen for having won the confidence of our membership to lead the College and serve our profession – this is a huge privilege, and I know he will give his all.”
