Dear Members,
In my inaugural letter to society, I would first like to express my gratitude to the members for entrusting me to lead the SRU in 2026 and to past leaders for establishing the strong foundation of this beloved society that means so much to our profession. As I assume the honor of my professional career in taking the helm during this time of both opportunity and challenge, I am reminded and motivated by the words of Isaac Newton which I paraphrase: If I am able to see further, it is only because I stand on the shoulders of giants.
Among the tallest giants to whom I would like to express my sincere gratitude are Drs. Nirvi Dahiya and Mark Lockhart. Nirvi, our immediate past president, guided SRU through significant transitions with wisdom and grace. Nirvi is now rotating off the board, but his impact has been and will continue to be substantial. Mark Lockhart, our immediate past president, along with program committee chairs, Theodora Potretzke and Tara Morgan, delivered an outstanding annual meeting in Nashville—combining exceptional educational content with innovative programming and a memorable sense of community. Mark certainly elevated the “fun factor” with karaoke, a “honky tonk”, and many additional opportunities for our members to connect. Their efforts set a high standard, and we are excited to accept the challenge to bring that same energy to the Chicago meeting this year. We also welcome Shuchi Rogers as our new secretary, and this newsletter is the result of her hard work and dedication. She now joins Anne Kennedy (president-elect) and Jason Wagner (treasurer) on the board. As a team, we are committed to advancing SRU’s mission with passion, commitment and energy.
The SRU has always strived to be the premier society for the field of ultrasound, and we will again utilize the annual meeting to demonstrate the SRU’s excellence. This year’s program committee will be chaired by Tara Morgan with the help of David Fetzer as Vice Chair. They are already working hard to build an informative, interesting and entertaining educational program. I am certain that the Chicago meeting will include exceptional content.
At the core of our mission, the SRU will remain committed to advancing research. We will continue funding seed grants—please consider applying and contributing to the future of ultrasound innovation. The research offerings at the meeting continue to increase under the leadership of our research committee chairs, Manjiri Dighe and Sherwin Chan.
In addition to the annual meeting, this new year will usher in several exciting initiatives to the SRU that are designed to strengthen member engagement and expand opportunities: We are thrilled to have welcomed sonographers and scientists into SRU, as it will foster a broader, more collaborative community. And we have already begun to see tangible results: Since we have expanded our membership to sonographers and scientists, we have received a tremendous positive response, and their experience has brought new energy to our society. Our newly formed advanced practice sonographer/sonographer special interest group has been incredibly well attended and the excitement on each of these calls is palpable. This special interest group is now being led by Lindsay Akers, APS at the University of Michigan. Nirvi Dahiya started the SRU outreach committee and has taken this committee by storm. In the span of one year, there have already been many SRU ambassadors who have traveled the world and expanded the SRU brand globally to great praise. One other initiative that I am very excited about is the addition of webinars. The education committee, led by Margarita Rezvin, introduced our first webinar in our series titled, Advancing Ultrasound One Webinar at a Time featuring an amazing talk by Stephanie Nguyen, MD, MSc entitled, “Bowel Ultrasound: Why, How, and What Can We See?” We are planning on several CME giving webinars this year, further adding yearlong value to an SRU membership.
There are so many other benefits of membership. Melanie Caserta and Aya Kamaya head the US Directors meeting. This is a forum where US directors in academic and private practice can address challenges and questions. This has been an invaluable resource for ultrasound director/ advocates in the groups. Our SRU consensus statements continue to have strong impact on the practice of ultrasound. We are anticipating the completion of the consensus statement on Hepatic Veno-Occlusive Disease (VOD)/ Sinusoidal Obstruction Syndrome (SOS) led by Sherwin Chan. If you have any ideas for a consensus statement, please reach out to us.
On the operational front, and to ensure good management and fiscal responsibility, we have renewed our contract with our management company, Educational Symposia (ESI) for another three years. Under the leadership of our Executive Director, Toni Ebra, our renewed partnership with ESI will ensure continued excellence in meeting planning and member services. Through the ESI partnership, we have also enhanced a primary communication tool, our website. Led by Lane Barton and with the assistance of ESI, we have launched a new website which is much more user-friendly and efficient. The US Forum has been incorporated into the website allowing chats with SRU members regarding anything in ultrasound, a perplexing case, an operational issue, etc. Lastly, I would be remiss to not acknowledge Richard Barr’s important work in the society as head of the corporate affairs committee. He and Toni Ebra from ESI have been incredibly successful in obtaining crucial vendor support for our meeting. Thank you also to the remainder of our committee chairs and members, your hard work during the year has a palpable effect on our society
Thank you for entrusting me with the privilege of leading the SRU. If there is one word I would use to describe members of the SRU, it is passion - passion for ultrasound, patient care, innovation, research, and connection. This passion ensures that US, one of the most widely used imaging techniques, retains its quality and further advances to serve our patients.
Please continue to bring your passion and partnership to the SRU in 2026. Your ideas and feedback are invaluable please reach out with suggestions or concerns.
Together, we will make 2026 a year of growth, collaboration, and accomplishment. Best wishes for a happy, healthy and successful New Year to all!
