The Department of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine is pleased to announce the launch of a new Interventional Echocardiography & Anesthesiology (IEA) Fellowship Program at UW Medical Center – Montlake.
The one-year faculty fellowship will provide advanced training in peri-procedural structural heart imaging and anesthetic management for transcatheter cardiovascular interventions.
Dr. Sara Nikravan, vice chair for education, announced the program at Grand Rounds last month.
“It’s very exciting,” Nikravan said. “This is one of the few fellowships of its kind within the United States for graduates of cardiothoracic anesthesiology fellowship programs who want to develop advanced skills and learn more about structural heart imaging.”
Training at the intersection of disciplines
The fellowship was designed to meet the increasing demand for clinicians with specialized expertise in transcatheter procedures, strengthening both patient safety and procedural success.
“This training program in interventional echocardiography represents a critical step in addressing the evolving needs of contemporary cardiovascular care and the growing demand of cardiothoracic anesthesiologists in the space,” said Dr. Richard Sheu, associate professor and inaugural director of the fellowship.
Emphasizing teamwork across specialties, the program integrates training in anesthesiology and multimodality imaging. Participants will build technical and interpretation skills in interventional echocardiography while also developing the clinical judgment needed to support complex procedures in real time.
Sheu believes a standout feature of the fellowship is its collaborative structure.
“We are a multidisciplinary group of faculty, combining anesthesiology and cardiology expertise,” he said, adding that the curriculum will go beyond informal apprenticeship-style training. According to Sheu, fellows will learn in a structured environment that includes hands-on procedural imaging, faculty-led didactics, case-based learning, quality improvement work and scholarly activity.
Applications now open
The fellowship is accepting applications on a rolling basis for the 2027-2028 academic year.
Applicants should demonstrate a strong interest in cardiothoracic anesthesiology and structural heart care, along with the preparation and professionalism needed to succeed in a highly collaborative environment. Candidates interested in helping shape a new and evolving educational program are encouraged to apply.
For more information, visit the Interventional Echocardiography & Anesthesiology Fellowship webpage or contact the fellowship administrative team.
Pictured above: Dr. Richard Sheu guides transcatheter device implantation with real-time echocardiography.