The Society for Vascular Ultrasound Fellows and Award Recipients Announced at the 2023 SVU Annual Conference & Marketplace in New Orleans, LA

The Society for Vascular Ultrasound (SVU) is a community of Vascular Ultrasound Healthcare Professionals dedicated to high quality care and improving patient outcomes through education, advocacy, research and growth of the field. The Society convened for the 2023 Annual Conference & Marketplace at the Hyatt Regency in New Orleans, LA from August 23-26, 2023. During the meeting the SVU instated two new Fellows and presented several awards to those in the vascular ultrasound profession.

2023 SVU Fellows Induction
The SVU Fellow designation honors outstanding leaders in the industry. Fellows are recognized by SVU for their many outstanding contributions to the Society, as well as to the vascular ultrasound profession. This year we presented this honor to, two individuals:

Traci Fox, EdD, RT(R), RDMS, RVT
Ms. Fox has been a sonographer since 1993. She currently works at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. In her current role, she is an associate professor at Jefferson College of Health Professions, a clinical coordinator (abdomen-extended and Ob/Gyn), and the program director of all sonography disciplines. Ms. Fox has given numerous talks at the SVU. She has successfully maintained 100% student enrollment in her SVU Signature School. Also, she has mentored countless students through speaking and publishing. Ms. Fox has also been published numerous times, including co-authoring a vascular textbook.

Joseph Polak, MD, MPH, FSVU
Dr. Polak is a Professor of Radiology at Tufts University School of Medicine and Chief of Radiology at the Lemuel Shattuck Hospital in Boston, MA. A graduate of McGill University School of Medicine and of the Harvard School of Public Health. His major clinical interests are in the use of ultrasound imaging to detect and follow atherosclerosis. Dr. Polak has co-authored more than 310 peer reviewed papers and 100 non-peer reviewed articles and chapters. He is sole author of a textbook on Vascular Ultrasound, “Peripheral Vascular Ultrasound. A Practical Guide,” as well as co-editor of a textbook, “Introduction to Vascular Ultrasonography.” Dr. Polak has served on the Editorial Board of Radiology and currently serves on the Editorial Boards of the Journal of Neuroimaging, the Journal of Vascular Ultrasound, and the Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine. He is past president of the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Vascular Laboratories, has served on the Board of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine, and is currently serving on the Board of the Society of Vascular

Medicine. Dr. Polak has been co-investigator and director of the Ultrasound Reading Center that was funded by the NIH and evaluated many ultrasound markers of atherosclerosis such as carotid artery intima-media thickness, carotid artery plaque, carotid artery distensibility, brachial artery reactivity, and currently brachial artery intima-media thickness. Dr. Polak is working on developing a calibrated methodology that can be used for cardiovascular risk assessment.

2023 Distinguished Service Award
R. Eugene Zierler, MD, RPVI, FSVU was presented with the Distinguished Service Award. This award recognizes meritorious service to SVU by any member. Dr. Zierler is a Professor of Vascular Surgery at the University of Washington School of Medicine and Medical Director of the D. E. Strandness Jr. Vascular Laboratory at the University of Washington Medical Center and Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, Washington. Over the past 30 years, Dr. Zierler’s research interests have focused on the clinical applications of noninvasive diagnostic techniques for vascular disease. He has been the editor of the Journal for Vascular Ultrasound for the past three years and has served on the Board of Directors of Inteleos, a certification organization that includes the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) and The Alliance for Physician Certification and Advancement (APCA). Dr. Zierler has also served on the Joint Review Committee on Education in Diagnostic Medical Sonography (JRC- DMS) and is a Past President of the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Vascular Laboratories (ICAVL). He is the author or co-author of more than 100 journal articles and 50 book chapters, and he is the editor of six textbooks.

2023 D. E. Strandness, M.D. Award
Kashif Khan, PhD received this award for, “A Deep Learning Network to Perform Reconstruction and Automated Detection of the Carotid Artery using 2D Ultrasound Images.”

2023 Excellence in Oral Clinical Presentation Award
Theja Bhamidipati, DO received this award for, “Lateral Geniculate Artery Pseudoaneurysm After Arthroscopic Medial Meniscectomy.”

2023 First-Time Presenter Award
Brigid Hill, MSc received this award for, “Surveillance Post EVAR: Are We Getting It Right.”

2023 Physician Presenter Award
Jason Wheeler, MD, MS, RPVI received this award for, “New Lymphedema After Right Above-Knee Greater Saphenous Vein Ablation.”

2023 Student Poster Presentation Award
Gabby Frett received this award for, “Bilateral Subclavian Steal in Patient with Takayasu Arteritis.”

2023 Award for Excellence in a Clinical Case Study Poster Presentation
Madeline Bless, RVT received this award for, “Superficial Femoral Artery Aneurysm as a Result of Peripheral Fibromuscular Dysplasia.”

2023 People’s Choice Poster Presentation Award
Maressa Houle, RVT, RPhS received this award for, “The Role of Hepatic Duplex Imaging in the Setting of a Post-Choleycystectomy Patient.”

About the Society for Vascular Ultrasound
SVU is a membership society dedicated to the advancement of non-invasive technology used in the diagnosis of vascular disease. The Society has a diverse membership of more than 4,300 vascular technologists, surgeons, cardiologists, lab directors, academics, students and other professionals involved in the practice of vascular ultrasound.

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