ASE and its Foundation Award Three $25,000 Grants to Early Career Investigators in Cardiovascular Imaging

The grants will help fund echocardiography research projects led by early career members in the Society

The American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) and the ASE Foundation have awarded grant funding totaling $75,000 for three innovative cardiovascular ultrasound research projects led by early career investigators.

The Society’s EDGES (Early-Career Development Grant for Echo Scientists) research program is intended to fund projects that address a clinical gap in cardiovascular ultrasound imaging through research directed by an early career scientist or investigator.

Three recipients were each awarded a $25,000 grant.

• Dr. Xuan Ding, a cardiovascular disease fellow at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., will use the grant to fund research in the development of cardiovascular ultrasound and echocardiographic technology and its applications to clinical cardiovascular medicine.
• Dr. Chieh-Ju Chao, an academic cardiologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., will utilize the funding for a collaborative project between Mayo Clinic and Stanford University Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence that seeks to develop an artificial intelligence-enabled echocardiography copilot reporting system.
• Dr. Son “Sonny” Duong, an assistant professor of pediatrics in the Division of Pediatric Cardiology at the Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Heart Center and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, secured the funding for research focused on the utilization of large data sets and machine-learning technologies to analyze cardiac diagnostics and patient risk prediction.

ASE Past President and Chair of the Society’s Research Committee Dr. Jonathan Lindner explained why this funding is important for the field.

“ASE has always advocated that echocardiography must constantly evolve to meet clinical needs, and therefore prioritizes its support of cutting-edge research. The EDGES grants are designed to support scientists in cardiovascular imaging at one of the most critical times in their professional development,” said Dr. Lindner. “The goal of the program is to assist early career scientists who need financial support to continue their trajectory in echocardiography research, and to generate vital data that can be used for more comprehensive funding mechanisms.”

The EDGES research program was developed to create an avenue for the continued evolution of echocardiography through technical advancement and new applications to meet the needs of increasingly complex patient populations in four ways:

1. Fund early research that will produce preliminary data necessary for a larger grant application.
2. Demonstrate the recipient’s research potential to their division and institution, whose support will be critical for their development.
3. Provide critical and positive feedback for the early career imager who may be unsure if they can successfully attain funding.
4. Build a foundation for launching a research career separate from their mentors.

Learn more about these grants and the recipients at ASEFoundation.org/Research.

About American Society of Echocardiography
The American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) is the Society for Cardiovascular Ultrasound Professionals™. ASE is the largest global organization for cardiovascular ultrasound imaging serving physicians, sonographers, nurses, veterinarians, and scientists and as such is the leader and advocate, setting practice standards and guidelines for the field. The Society is committed to advancing cardiovascular ultrasound to improve lives. For more information, visit the ASE website ASEcho.org or social media pages on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, or Instagram.

About American Society of Echocardiography Foundation
The ASE Foundation (ASEF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation created in 2003 as ASE’s charitable arm. The Foundation helps to assure the viability and visibility of cardiovascular ultrasound. Dependent upon donor giving not supported by membership dues, ASEF funds initiatives such as training scholarships, guidelines-based projects, research, patient engagement, and global health outreach. For more information, visit the ASEF website: ASEFoundation.org.

Early Registration Rates End December 14

ASE’s 33rd Annual Echo Hawaii™ is quickly approaching, and so is the early registration deadline! Register by Thursday, December 14, 2023, to receive the best price. This year’s live, in-person course will take place January 15-19, 2024, and for the first time, will be held at the Fairmont Orchid.

Attending Echo Hawaii is as easy as 1, 2, 3!

1. Register online. Remember to log in to the ASE Member Portal before purchasing to ensure you receive your member discount.
2. Book your accommodations! ASE has secured a block of discounted rooms at the Fairmont Orchid.
3. Download the Advance Program and see all the educational sessions that will be offered by expert faculty.

Join colleagues, friends, and fellow echo enthusiasts to learn the latest information on established and emerging cardiovascular ultrasound technologies in a beautiful and relaxing environment at Echo Hawaii!

Sonography students enrolled in an accredited CAAHEP cardiovascular ultrasound program are encouraged to apply for the 2024 Feigenbaum Cardiovascular Student Travel Grant. Supported by a grant from Elsevier, Inc. to honor Dr. Harvey Feigenbaum’s commitment and tenure as the Founding Editor of JASE, this grant provides a $1,000 USD travel grant to assist the recipient in attending ASE’s Annual Scientific Sessions or another ASE-sponsored 2024 educational program. Full nomination criteria can be found here. Applications are due December 30.

Sonography students nominated for a 2024 Alan D. Waggoner, MHS, RDCS, FASE Sonographer Student Scholarship Award have until December 30 to complete the Student Nominee Application Form. Contact the Foundation with any questions at Foundation@ASEcho.org. 

Dr. Feigenbaum, ASE’s Founder and first President, recently celebrated his 90th birthday on November 20. There was a celebration held for him in Indianapolis, Indiana, on December 2 where many ASE luminaries were in attendance. Michael Picard, MD, FASE, shared this sentiment: “I was privileged to have been invited to the 90th birthday party that was held in Indianapolis to honor Dr Feigenbaum. It was really a special night. In addition to remarks by ASE members Drs. Stephen Sawada, MD, FASE, and William Armstrong, MD, there were tributes from ASE Past Presidents Drs. Anthony DeMaria, MD, FASE; Alan Pearlman, MD, FASE; and Thomas Ryan, MD, FASE. Dr. Feigenbaum topped off the evening by relating some of the unexpected and unpredictable events that had to occur for him to have had his illustrious career.”

If you haven’t already, join us in wishing Dr. Feigenbaum a Happy Birthday on the post made on X on November 20.

The December issue of JASE includes, “Insights Into the Standard Echocardiographic Views From Multimodality Imaging: Ventricles, Pericardium, Valves, and Atria.” Editor-in Chief, Patricia Pellikka, MD, FASE, remarks, “This well-illustrated report presents standard echocardiographic images alongside tomographic views from cardiac computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging, highlighting important features of cardiac anatomy.”

In addition to that report on imaging strategies, this issue contains three clinical investigations with research on LV strain in early cardiac amyloidosis, discordance between intraprocedural echocardiographic and invasive aortic valve gradients, and RV mechanics after tetralogy of Fallot repair. Readers can look forward to the Multimodality Imaging for Cardiac Surveillance of Cancer Treatment in Children: Recommendations From the American Society of Echocardiography as well as a state-of-the-art review using multimodality imaging to differentiate constrictive pericarditis from restrictive cardiomyopathy. Four brief research communications include reports on low-flow, low-gradient aortic stenosis assessment, the impact of suggesting the possible diagnosis of the cardiac amyloidosis by echocardiography on downstream testing, an electronic health record tool that identifies echos that may not impact clinical care, and a novel report about why LV ejection fraction should not be visually estimated.

Dr. Eidem’s President’s Message features an update on ASEF’s accomplishments and strategic vision from ASEF Board Chair and ASE 2023 Scientific Sessions Chair James Kirkpatrick, MD, FASE. Please see the December ASE Education Calendar for a listing of educational opportunities far and wide.

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ASE is pleased to announce that the full series of 10 episodes of GE Healthcare Vivid Learning Academy’s “Strain Imaging in Echocardiography” is now available in the ASE Learning Hub.

This resource is free to all active ASE members to access for the next two years. The series features pioneers in the field of strain imaging sharing their experience, as well as tips and tricks. Episodes range from basics and applications to using strain in disease diagnosis.

There is approximately one month left to renew your ASE membership for 2024! ASE offers three easy ways to renew:

1. Online: Log in to your ASE Member Portal.
2. Electronic or Mailed Invoice: Check your email inbox and mailbox for electronic and mailed invoices next week.
3. Phone: Call 919-861-5574 and press “1” for the Membership Department.

If you need assistance with renewing your membership, please contact the ASE Membership Department by email ASE@ASEcho.org or using the phone number listed above. Additional information for renewing your membership can be found at ASEcho.org/Renew.

P.S. If you renew before December 31, 2023, you will receive a special 2024 ASE Echo Image Calendar!

The November 2023 Echo magazine is now online! This issue contains interesting articles written by ASE members, including:

• The Pivotal Role of ASE in Promoting Early Career Clinician Scientists, page 4
• Sonographer Volunteer of the Month-November, Congratulations Katie Jo Stauffer, BS, RDCS, FASE, page 6
• Tackling the Problem of Interventional Echocardiography Training, page 8
• PCHD Council Steering Committee—Welcomes Incoming Members, page 11
• Accreditation for Perioperative Transesophageal Echocardiography is Here: Time to Start Your Journey, page 14
• In Memoriam: Walter L. Henry, MD, FASE, page 17
• Working with COVID-19, Insights into the Newly Published ASE COVID-19 Statement Update: Lessons Learned and Preparation for Future Pandemics, page 22

Published monthly, Echo magazine offers an outlet for ASE members to contribute articles or images related to cardiovascular ultrasound that are not research-related. We are already accepting article submissions for next year! The deadline to submit articles for the February 2024 issue is December 15. Review author submission guideline requirements and read past issues at ASEcho.org/EchoMagazine. Questions? Email Echo@ASEcho.org.

The ASE Foundation is ecstatic to share that as of 3:00 PM this afternoon, 96 people have already contributed to our GivingTuesday fundraiser and so far, we have raised $34,306. Thank you very much for showing your support of the ASE Foundation. We are accepting donations until December 2, so if you haven’t done so yet – it’s not too late to donate!

We would like to extend a special thank you to our GivingTuesday champions whose early pledges totaled over $4,000, helping to kick off our fundraiser: Karla Kurrelmeyer, MD, FASE; Bharatbhushan Patel, RDCS, RVS, RDMS, FASE; Neha Soni-Patel, MEd, BSME, RCCS, RDCS (AE/PE), FASE; Andrea Van Hoever, MSGH; and Susan Wiegers, MD, FASE. And a special thank you to the Patel Family Foundation for their generous contribution of $10,000!

When you give, let us know what inspired your contribution on social media. Remember to tag @ASE360 and include #GivingTuesday. Thank you for showing us that supporting the future of cardiovascular ultrasound is #YourPriority. Together, we will continue to make a world of difference.

Save on Select ASE Educational Products this Black Friday!
November 22, 10:00 AM ET – November 25, 9:00 AM ET

Shop the Black Friday catalog in ASE’s Learning Hub! Each item is automatically discounted in ASE’s Learning Hub, so no coupon code is required. The Black Friday deals are in addition to the discounts ASE members already receive as a benefit of membership. Be sure to log in to the ASE Member Portal for the lowest prices.

Guideline Reference Spiral
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The Guideline Reference Spiral consists of graphic illustrations of ASE’s most popular Guidelines.

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Bundle of Pocket Guidelines (All 10 Pocket Guides)
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A set of 10 3″ x 4″ pocket-sized flip books made up of charts and illustrations from ASE Guidelines.

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Echocardiography Formula Review Guide Bundle: Volumes 1, 2, & 3
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These 6″ x 8″ spiral-bound handheld guides include a total of 49 pages of formulas, diagrams, and charts covering various topics.

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ASE’s Comprehensive Echocardiography 3rd Edition
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ASE’s Comprehensive Strain Imaging Textbook
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Written by international ASE experts, this textbook will be your go-to guide for everything related to strain technique and application.

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Bundle of Valve Posters
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A bundle of four 24″ x 30″ posters covering valvular topics including: aortic valve stenosis, aortic regurgitation, mitral regurgitation, and tricuspid and pulmonic regurgitation.

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