2026 ASE Award Winners to Be Honored at ASE 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Natalie Costantino
919-297-7170
[email protected]

2026 ASE Award Winners to Be Honored at 37^th Annual Scientific Sessions

(DURHAM, NC, April 10, 2026)—The American Society of Echocardiography (ASE), the largest global organization for cardiovascular ultrasound imaging professionals, will recognize eight distinguished leaders at the 37^th Annual Scientific Sessions, taking place June 26-28, 2026, at the Gaylord Rockies Resort and Convention Center in Aurora, Colorado.

Awards recognizing mentorship and meritorious service will be presented during the afternoon plenary session on Friday, June 26. Lifetime achievement, teaching and ASE council honorees will be recognized at the 17th Annual Research Awards Enchanted Forest Gala on Saturday, June 27.

“These eight innovators, educators, and mentors represent the very best of cardiovascular ultrasound,” said ASE Chief Executive Officer Robin Wiegerink. “Their clinical and scientific contributions advance the field and elevate patient care. We look forward to celebrating their achievements together in Colorado.”

2026 ASE Award Recipients

Physician Lifetime Achievement Award
Sherif Nagueh, MD, FASE, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas

Sonographer Lifetime Achievement Award
Ken Horton, ACS, RCS, FASE, Intermountain Heart Institute, Mascotte, Florida

Richard Popp Excellence in Teaching Award
Smadar Kort, MD, FASE, Stony Brook University Medical Center, Stony Brook, New York

Circulation & Vascular Ultrasound Council Luminary Award
Bryan Wells, MD, FASE, Emory Healthcare, Atlanta, Georgia

PCHD Council Founders’ Award for Lifetime Achievement
Luc Mertens, MD, PhD, FASE, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada

Outstanding Achievement in Perioperative Echocardiography Award
Burkhard Mackensen, MD, PhD, FASE, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington

Mentorship Award
Vince Sorrell, MD, FASE, University of Kentucky Gill Heart & Vascular Institute, Versailles, Kentucky

Meritorious Service Award
Merri Bremer, EdD, RN, ACS, RDCS, FASE, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota

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, Instagram and Bluesky.

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 education and global health outreach. For more information, visit the ASEF website ASEFoundation.org.

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