Cheri L. Canon, M.D., F.A.C.R. is a Professor and Witten-Stanley Endowed Chair of Radiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Radiology. She completed her undergraduate training at the University of Texas at Austin, followed by medical school at the University of Texas Medical Branch. After completing her residency training in Diagnostic Radiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), she joined the faculty in the Abdominal Imaging section.
Dr. Cheri Canon
Dr. Canon served as the Radiology Residency Program Director and Vice Chair of Education for seven years. She served as the UAB School of Medicine Curriculum Committee Chair, during which time an organ-based curriculum was implemented. She then served as Senior Vice Chair of Operations and Division Director of Diagnostic Radiology before her appointment as Chair. She serves on the UAB Health Services Foundation Board of Directors.
Dr. Canon served as an oral examiner for the American Board of Radiology (ABR) for eleven years. She is a member of the ABR Oral Exam Committee for GI and Chairs the GI Committee for the ABR Certifying and Maintenance of Certification Examinations. She received the ABR Lifetime Service Award in 2013. She is the Chair of the American College of Radiology (ACR) Commission on Education and the ACR 2015 Program Committee. She sits on the ACR Board of Chancellors. Additionally, she sits on the Boards of Directors for the Association of University Radiologists, the American Institute of Radiologic Pathology, and the Academy of Radiology Research, on which she serves as Academic Council Chair. She is an Associate Editor for the Journal of the American College of Radiology.
What did you gain from your Momentum experience?
A close network of lifelong friends and colleagues on whom I still rely on to this day, a renewed energy and enthusiasm for my career goals, and a valuable resource for ongoing leadership development.
What is one piece of leadership advice you have been given that has helped you in your career?
Don’t leave decisions to chance. Do your homework before the meeting, discuss strategic variables in advance with key stakeholders, and know their position before the vote. Don’t assume you can sway them in the board room with data and discussion. By then, the decision has already been made.
What challenges do you think the next generation of women leaders face?
The ongoing challenge of establishing the value of women in leadership. Although we have made great strides, there is much more work to be done.
If you knew then what you know now, what would you tell your 18 year old self?
Be patient, relax, and take it all in. Things happen in due time and shouldn’t be rushed. And always follow your intuition.
What three words should characterize every leader?
Emotionally intelligent, optimistic.
How do find balance in your career, home, and community life?
Still a work in progress and improving every year. I should be there by age 90 or so.
Is there a book that has been helpful to you in your career?
Tough question. There have been so many, and many I go back and re-read depending on the current challenges and environment. My husband would say The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. Every problem and leadership challenge in the world can be solved with the basic principles in this book.
Anything else you would like to share? Advice?
Everything, career, leadership, marriage, family, is a journey with many ups and downs. Be patient and value what you have as it is ever-changing. Don’t waste a moment.
