Cardiologist begins term as American Society of Echocardiography's new president
The American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) has named Theodore Abraham, MD, the organization’s new president for the 2024-2025 term.
Abraham is a cardiologist and Meyer Friedman Distinguished Professor at the University of California San Francisco, where he also serves as the institution’s director of the adult cardiac echocardiography laboratory and co-director of its Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) Center of Excellence. He previous held appointments at Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins University.
“ASE has been my professional home for more than 20 years. In my term as president, I am looking forward to embracing the society’s rich 50-year history while also ensuring we remain at the forefront of innovation and excellence,” Abraham explained in a statement. “It is an honor to represent our members and have a role in advancing and growing both ASE and the field of cardiovascular ultrasound to meet the needs of patients.”
During the ASE 2024 meeting in Portland, Oregon, Abraham shared his vision for the cardiovascular ultrasound imaging society as it heads into its 50th anniversary in 2025. His goals include accelerating the development and use of new echo technologies, especially in the area artificial intelligence (AI). Education is another top priority.
Abraham plans to focus on three themed initiatives in the next year:
1. ASE Creates is intended to draw on the creativity within the society and determine potential opportunities for innovation and invention in the field.
2. ASE Secures will safeguard the society’s future by identifying new technologies and educational opportunities.
3. ASE Partners will concentrate on collaboration and help the society continue building relationships with complementary partners, disciplines and organizations.
Abraham's involvement with ASE
Since first joining ASE in 2003, Abraham has held numerous leadership and volunteer positions on committees, task forces, writing groups and editorial boards. This included serving as chair of ASE’s Membership Committee, earning Fellowship status in 2004, delivering the 2016 Feigenbaum Lecture at the 27th Annual ASE Scientific Sessions, receiving the 2018 Richard Popp Excellence in Teaching Award and supporting the ASE Foundation.
Most recently, he chaired ASE Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) forums in 2023 and 2024 and completed his term as the 2023-2024 president-elect on the ASE Board of Directors’ Executive Committee.
Cardiovascular Business interviewed Abraham about HCM at ASE 2023. Read more or watch the video.
New ASE Board members
ASE membership also elected 11 new members to its board of directors. They all started their terms July 1. The new members include:
• Vice President Cynthia Taub, MD, MBA, FASE, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, N.Y.,
• Treasurer Akhil Narang, MD, FASE, Northwestern Medicine, Chicago (watch an interview with Narang on interventional echo)
• Secretary Melissa Wasserman, RDCS, RCCS, FASE, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia,
• Council Representative Kelly Thorson, DHSc, MSRS, ACS, RDCS, RCCS, CIIP, FASE, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, Palo Alto, Calif.
Board members elected to two-year terms include:
• Kristen Billick, BS, ACS, RCS, RDCS (AE, PE) FASE, Scripps Clinic and La Jolla Hospital, La Jolla, Calif. (Member at Large)
• Allyson Boyle, MHA, ACS, RDCS, FASE, Sanger Heart and Vascular Institute, Atrium Health, Charlotte, N.C. (Cardiovascular Sonography Council Chair)
• Tony Forshaw, M Cardiac Ultrasound, B Ex Sci, AMS (Cardiac), FASE, Queensland University of Technology, Australia (International Representative)
• Jennifer Liu, MD, FASE, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, N.Y. (Member at Large)
• Kameswari Maganti, MD, FASE, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, N.J. (Member at Large)
• Nishath Quader, MD, FASE, Washington University, St. Louis, Mo. (Interventional Echocardiography Council Chair)
• Matthew Vorsanger, MD, FACC, RPVI, FASE, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, N.Y. (Circulation and Vascular Ultrasound Council Chair)
ASE has nearly 17,000 members across 112 countries.
Dave Fornell has covered healthcare for more than 17 years, with a focus in cardiology and radiology. Fornell is a 5-time winner of a Jesse H. Neal Award, the most prestigious editorial honors in the field of specialized journalism. The wins included best technical content, best use of social media and best COVID-19 coverage. Fornell was also a three-time Neal finalist for best range of work by a single author. He produces more than 100 editorial videos each year, most of them interviews with key opinion leaders in medicine. He also writes technical articles, covers key trends, conducts video hospital site visits, and is very involved with social media. E-mail: dfornell@innovatehealthcare.com