Edward A. Sickles, MD, Resident Alum, Clinical Fellow Alum : The Architect of Modern Mammography

Seeing What Others Can’t

One of the things Edward Sickles loves about radiology is the ability to see through the body. “It’s like I have X-ray eyes,” he says. For nearly half a century at UCSF, Sickles has used that vision to help define modern breast imaging — seeing what others could not, and teaching generations of radiologists to do the same. When he completed his radiology residency at UCSF, he was hired specifically for mammography. There was just one problem – he had no formal training in it. So he taught himself. At the time, UCSF was performing just five mammograms a day, giving him time to study, research, and refine his skill. From that quiet beginning, one of the most consequential careers in breast imaging took shape.

Shaping Modern Mammography

Early in his career, Sickles developed magnification mammography, a technique that enlarges X-ray images to reveal microscopic structures invisible to standard imaging. The advance helped radiologists detect cancers earlier and determine which findings require biopsy. Today, millions of women benefit from this approach. Sickles has played a dominant role in the American College of Radiology for decades, including serving on the committee that created BI-RADS, now the standardized system radiologists worldwide use to describe findings and track outcomes. He also led landmark research validating short-interval follow-up for “probably benign” findings, sparing patients unnecessary biopsies. Throughout his nearly 30 years as chief of Breast Imaging at UCSF, he authored hundreds of scientific articles and presented at more than 850 seminars, helping to establish performance benchmarks that define quality mammography practice.

A Lasting Legacy

That commitment to excellence and passion for teaching is what keeps Sickles, now a professor emeritus, working one day a week well into his 80s. And when he and his wife, Dale, chose to give back to UCSF, a distinguished professorship in breast imaging felt like the natural extension of a lifetime of academic rigor and mentorship. “UCSF has basically shaped my life. It trained me, supported my research, and enabled a career that allowed us to give back. Someone will always hold this position. Knowing that you’ve done something long-lasting is very fulfilling.”