Dr. Abuhamad selected for prestigious AIUM award
The American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) recently presented Alfred Abuhamad, MD, Interim President and Provost of EVMS and Dean of the School of Medicine, with the 2022 William J. Fry Memorial Lecture Award.
The award recognizes his distinguished career in ultrasound in medicine, and honor an AIUM member who have made outstanding contributions to the growth and development of medical ultrasound.
“I am honored to be named recipient of the prestigious William J. Fry Award by the leadership of the AIUM,” says Alfred Abuhamad, MD, Interim President and Provost of EVMS and Dean of the School of Medicine, and Mason C. Andrews Chair in Obstetrics and Gynecology. “To be placed in such distinguished ranks as those of the past honorees, many of whom have shaped ultrasound imaging, I am truly humbled.”
During the award presentation, Dr. Abuhamad was recognized as a pioneer in ultrasound development and education. His innovations in ultrasound have enhanced fetal diagnosis, and one of his books, a free-access e-book, “Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology: A Practical Approach,” has been downloaded more than 70,000 times and translated into nine languages.
As President of the American Institute for Ultrasound in Medicine, he oversaw a year-long initiative to encourage widespread use of ultrasound to minimize radiation exposure with other imaging modalities. He established the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology’s outreach program and has led several ultrasound training missions to the developing world to include Haiti, Ghana and Somaliland. He also is a past President of the Society for Ultrasound in Medical Education and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine.
Trained in maternal-fetal medicine, Dr. Abuhamad is part of a national team of researchers studying the human placenta during early pregnancy. That project was supported by a $2.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health. He is the author of several books and book chapters and more than 180 peer-reviewed journal articles. One of his books, “Practical Guide to Fetal Echocardiography,” won the Book of the Year Award in 2019 from the British Medical Association.
He is founder and past Chair of the Council for Patient Safety in Women’s Health Care and is founder of the Ob Right Program, a nationally recognized program in patient safety and quality.
As a leader in his field, Dr. Abuhamad has earned an international reputation for his research, advocacy and his willingness to give back.
Glynis Harvey, Chief Executive officer of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM), has worked closely with Dr. Abuhamad on a number of multilayered initiatives, including a year-long effort to encourage widespread use of ultrasound (“Ultrasound First”) to minimize radiation exposure with other imaging modalities.
“Dr. Abuhamad has been a key leader in the ultrasound space and a luminary at the AIUM,” says Ms. Harvey, noting that Dr. Abuhamad has helped plan and implement awareness campaigns and events for the group and also serves as co-director of the Advanced OB-GYN Ultrasound seminar, AIUM’s most successful and longest running course.