AEUS Fellow Spotlight

Dena Mohnani, MD

Emergency Ultrasound Fellow

University of Florida College of Medicine

What is your proudest ultrasound moment and/or save?

Though this was years ago, it still stands out in my mind as one of my proudest ultrasound saves.  We had an elderly patient presenting to the resuscitation bay in respiratory distress. CXR showed a large pneumothorax. With a diagnosis in hand, our team could have easily stopped there with respect to diagnostic testing. However, we noticed subtle swelling of the RLE and confirmed DVT at the bedside with POCUS. As a result of our early, expeditious ultrasound, the patient was able to receive timely treatment for his massive PE, in addition to a chest tube for his pneumothorax.

Who is your emergency ultrasound hero, and what inspired you to choose them?

Dr. Petra Duran-Gehring, my mentor and ultrasound fellowship director. She is an incredible teacher and is able to give impromptu lectures, complete with beautiful hand-drawn diagrams, on any ultrasound or emergency medicine topic at a moment’s notice. The way that she is able to teach and engage learners of all levels and answer questions without making learners feel intimidated is inspiring. I’m also in awe of her ability to be so present for her family, despite being so active and successful in her career. She is a superwoman.

What do you predict will be the next significant development in emergency ultrasound?

AI. The ability to put the probe in the hands of those with limited to no formal training to successfully aid in a diagnosis/treatment is an exciting concept, though certainly comes with its own unique issues.

What's your next big career goal or aspiration?

TBD. I am just re-entering the world of academic medicine after spending some years working in community practice. For now, I am just enjoying being immersed in learning and evidence-based-medicine.

What additional information would you like people to know about you?

It’s great to be a Florida Gator. I attended the University of Florida for undergrad, returned for medical school, completed residency at the Jacksonville campus, and then returned last year to the Jacksonville campus as an emergency ultrasound fellow. I can’t wait to share my love for UF with my kids and take them to some Gator football games. Go Gators!

Franz Mendoza Garcia, MD

Emergency Ultrasound Fellow

New York Presbyterian - Brooklyn Methodist Hospital

Michael Del Valle, MD

Denver Health

Winner - AEUS Innovation Award

Dr. Del Valle is currently an emergency medicine ultrasound fellow with education and experience in biomedical engineering. He is strongly focused on the development of innovative applications of ultrasonography. Current interests range from AR/VR ultrasound and global health to space medicine and AI-enhanced ultrasound.