Cardiothoracic Imaging Fellowship

Apply Here for 2025-2026

Cardiovascular imaging

The Thoracic and Cardiovascular Imaging Sections offer 12-month fellowship positions in cardiothoracic imaging with the goal of preparing the next generation of leaders in cardiothoracic imaging. Our sections have a strong history of excellence in teaching, including having our faculty and fellows as frequent recipients of department-wide teaching awards, as voted by our residents. We train fellows for the academic or private practice setting with expertise in all facets of cardiac and thoracic imaging. Our fellows can choose between a 100% thoracic imaging fellowship or split their time between the thoracic and cardiovascular sections. Fellows are appointed to the faculty as Clinical Instructors and are responsible for supervised interpretation of thoracic and cardiovascular imaging exams by subspecialist faculty radiologists as well as several faculty cardiologists.

Thoracic imaging

Our sections provide thoracic and cardiac imaging services for the 592-bed University Hospital and its many outpatient clinics. We offer comprehensive training in both inpatient and outpatient cardiothoracic imaging including thoracic oncology, diffuse lung disease, pulmonary vascular, cardiovascular, and peripheral vascular disease, airways disease, lung and heart transplantation, chest trauma, infectious diseases, critical care, and cardiac and thoracic surgery. In addition to supervised training, our fellows engage in independent weekend call coverage, an opportunity to further your professional growth and ensure a smooth transition to independent practice.

Program Highlights

  • An outstanding group of 11 faculty with national and international reputations and diverse interests in thoracic and cardiovascular imaging
  • Our faculty are truly invested in education and leadership are the recipients of numerous awards (see list to the right!)
  • Imaging exams including radiography, high-resolution computed tomography, lung cancer screening, CT esophagograms, dynamic airway CT, CT and MR angiography, and cardiac CT and MRI.
  • Weekly conferences where fellows actively participate: pulmonary medicine, thoracic oncology, multidisciplinary interstitial lung disease, lung transplant pathology, cardiology, and vascular surgery
  • We host of a weekly cardiothoracic imaging web conference with other institutions
  • Fellows are appointed to the faculty as clinical instructors.
  • Fellows receive faculty benefits including 22 vacation days and a book/travel fund.
  • Fellows are encouraged to work with faculty on academic projects during their fellowship (and after too!).
  • Dedicated academic time is built into the clinical schedule. Target academic time is 1 day per week
  • Participation in national and international meetings is encouraged and supported by the department
  • Fellows actively participate in resident and medical student education
  • Additional opportunities to teach in multiple medical school formal courses if interested in education
  • Fellows have fully equipped home PACS work stations
  • Full access to the entire department of radiology curated lecture archives with faculty resident lectures and department ground-rounds dating back to 2007
  • Opportunities for optional internal moonlighting
  • Fun, collegial, and intellectually stimulating work environment

Program Administration

Jeffrey Kanne,  MD

Program Director

Lacy Fluckiger

Program Coordinator

Awards

  • 2021 – Jeffrey Kanne, MD – Faculty Teacher of the Year Award (UW Radiology Residents)
  • 2021 – Melissa Carrol, MD – Fellow of the Year (UW Radiology Residents)
  • 2021 – Jeffrey Kanne, MD – RSNA Honored Educator
  • 2021 – Prashant Nagpal, MD – Red Apple Award for Medical Student Education
  • 2020 – Cristopher Meyer, MD, FACR – Donald Yandow Medical Student Award for Outstanding Faculty Teaching
  • 2020 – Maria Daniela Martin, MD – UW Rising Star Leadership Award
  • 2020 – Prashant Nagpal, MD – Krabbenhoft Award
  • 2019 – Jeffrey Kanne, MD – Faculty Teacher of the Year Award (UW Radiology Residents)
  • 2019 – Prashant Nagpal, MD – Faculty Resident Teacher of the Year (University of Iowa Residents)
  • 2019 – Brian Mullan,  MD – Red Apple Award for Medical Student Teaching
  • 2018 – Chris François, MD – Faculty Teacher of the Year Award (UW Radiology Residents)
  • 2018 – Prashant Nagpal, MD – Faculty Resident Teacher of the Year (University of Iowa Residents)
  • 2018 – Brian Mullan,  MD – Red Apple Award for Medical Student Teaching
  • 2018 – Brian Mullan, MD – Medical Student Teacher of the Year (University of Iowa)
  • 2017 – Jeffrey Kanne, MD – ACR Choosing Wisely Champion
  • 2017 – Brian Mullan,  MD – Red Apple Award for Medical Student Teaching
  • 2017 – Brian Mullan, MD – Medical Student Teacher of the Year (University of Iowa)
  • 2015 – Jeffrey Kanne, MD – UW Health Clinical Educator Excellence Award
  • 2013 – Jeffrey Kanne, MD – Faculty Teacher of the Year Award (UW Radiology Residents)
  • 2013 – Jeffrey Kanne, MD – RSNA Honored Educator
  • 2012 – Cristopher Meyer, MD, FACR – Faculty Teacher of the Year Award (UW Radiology Residents)
  • 2012 – Jeffrey Kanne, MD– RSNA Honored Educator
  • 2010 – Jeffrey Kanne, MD – Melvin M. Figley Fellowship in Radiology Journalism (ARRS)
  • 2009 – 2012 – Brian Mullan, MD – William and Sondra Myer Family Professor in Medical Education

Current Fellows

Former Fellows

Melissa Carroll, MD

Year: 2020-2021
Medical School:  University Of Kansas
Residency: Kansas University Medical Center (Kansas City, KS)
Current Position: Assistant Professor, Kansas University Medical Center (Kansas City, KS)

Elizabeth M. Johnson, MD

Year: 2019-2020
Medical School:  Drexel University College of Medicine
Residency: University of South Florida, Morsani College of Medicine
Current Position: Mayo Clinic, Florida

Ruchi Sharma, MD, PhD

Year: 2019-2020
Medical School:  Baylor College of Medicine
Residency: University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
Current Position: Staff Radiology, Aurora Health Care (Milwaukee, WI)

Bradley D Allen, MD, MS

Year: 2018-2019
Medical School:  Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Residency: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
Current Position:  Assistant Professor of Radiology, Chief of Cardiothoracic Imaging, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

Donald Benson, MD

Year: 2017-2018
Medical School:  University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Residency: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Current Position:  Assistant Professor, University of Alabama – Birmingham

Maria Daniela Martin Rother, MD

Year: 2015-2016
Medical School: Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela
Residency: Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL
Current Position: Associate Professor, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. Director Diversity and Inclusion, Department of Radiology, UWSMPH

Jitesh Ahuja, MD

Year: 2015-2016
Medical School: Mysore Medical College
Residency: All India Institute of Medical Sciences
Current Position: Associate Professor, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

About the Department

The Department of Radiology has a stable force of 98 faculty in ten subspecialty sections and many of our faculty are world-renowned for their contributions to research and education in radiology. Our faculty interpret more than 700,000 exams annually from our academic hospital and multiple community based hospitals and clinics. UW Health has invested significantly in our facilities and equipment over the past 10 years, and this commitment is evident throughout the state-of-the-art 80,000 sq. ft. clinical care area that we enjoy. Our research faculty collaborate closely with scientists on the UW campus and in the Department of Medical Physics in a 60,000 sq. ft. imaging sciences research center, part of the Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research (WIMR). The imaging research center provides an unprecedented resource that translates innovation from bench to bedside and spans a scope from mouse to man. The center includes advanced MRI, CT, PET (including combined PET-MRI), cyclotron, radiochemistry, digital angiography, ultrasound, and magnetoencephalography systems for small animal, large animal, and human research applications. Our industrial partners have provided state-of-the-art imaging equipment and access to research platforms for our scientists to create new imaging methods and applications. The imaging research center provides state-of-the-art laboratory, office, teaching, and interactive space for more than 250 Radiology and Medical Physics researchers. One of only two cities in North America situated on an isthmus, Madison shares many qualities with other well-known “college towns” like Berkeley and Austin – including a creative and educated population – but retains a small-town feel. There are many outstanding restaurants, an active theater community, live music, more than 250 parks, a plethora of summer and winter outdoor activities and good shopping – yet Madison is just minutes from the beautiful rural countryside. National groups and magazines rank Madison highly for being a very bike-friendly city and a great place to raise a family. Madison was named “#1 Best Place to Live” (among 100 U.S. cities) for 2015 by Livability.com.