On July 1, 2024, Erica Knavel Koepsel, MD assumed the role of Interventional Radiology section chief and began a five-year term as the Andrew B. Crummy Professor in Radiology.
Dr. Knavel Koepsel completed her training at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, where she made department history as the first woman elected as chief resident.
Just one year into her career as a faculty member at UW–Madison, Dr. Knavel Koepsel launched the iMRI program; a collaborative effort with the Department of Urology to perform biopsies and treat prostate cancer with cryoablation. Her work on this program garnered statewide attention, including a feature on Wisconsin TV station, WKOW. The iMRI program is the only one of its kind in Wisconsin and one of six locations nationwide where patients can undergo these procedures.
Earlier this year, Dr. Knavel Koepsel led a team of interventional radiologists in performing Wisconsin’s first clinical histotripsy-based ablation, also marking the first time a radiology department in the U.S. performed this procedure.
Beyond her innovative clinical work, Dr. Knavel Koepsel is a dedicated mentor. As co-chair of the Women Professionals in Radiology (WPR) group, she supports her peers and provides guidance for women who are early on in their careers.
Additionally, she mentors through the UW School of Medicine and Public Health’s Building Equitable Access to Mentorship (BEAM) program. The BEAM program pairs faculty with students from underrepresented backgrounds in medicine to enhance their professional development and academic success.
Dr. Knavel Koepsel shared that she’s honored to be appointed as the Andrew B. Crummy Professor. “Dr. Crummy was one of the founders of Interventional Radiology; and was vital to the advancement of the field with the development of Digital Subtraction Angiography. His contributions to UW–Madison and the field of Radiology are spectacular. With this professorship, I hope to continue Dr. Crummy’s mission by supporting innovation, research, and educational opportunities in the section while always striving for ways to improve patient care.”