Wednesday, 2 September 2026
From clinical questions to real-world impact: Meet the 2025 ASA Grant recipients
With support from the Australasian Sonographers Association (ASA) Grants program, Casey Smedley, Lisa McGuire, AFASA and Dr Sandhya Maranna, FASA are helping to shape the future of sonography through clinical research.
Advancements in sonography often begin with a simple question that arises from everyday clinical practice.
The ASA Grants program is an opportunity to turn these ideas into research with real-world impact, with a funding pool of A$40,000 available.
As the 2026 grants round opens, we talked to the three 2025 recipients about their projects, the impact of the ASA Grants, and advice for this year’s applicants.
Learn more about the ASA Grants
Improving fetal heart imaging
Casey Smedley, The Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Adelaide | South Australia Medical Imaging, Women’s Ultrasound Department
A clinical audit of sonographic fetal heart images at the routine mid-trimester scan
Casey Smedley is investigating the quality and consistency of fetal heart imaging during routine mid-trimester morphology scans.
Using a structured audit tool based on international screening guidelines, the project assesses the five standard fetal heart planes and examines factors that may affect image quality.
For Casey, the ASA Clinical Audit Grant offered an opportunity to improve clinical practice while developing her research skills.
“Professionally, the grant validated the importance of the project, strengthened collaboration within our department, and supported my development as a clinical researcher,” she says.
Ultimately, she hopes this project will make a valuable contribution to quality improvement in fetal heart imaging.
“This audit will identify areas for targeted education and training, support ongoing audit cycles, and contribute to improved detection rates of congenital heart disease.”
Bringing AI to rural ultrasound
Lisa McGuire, AFASA | The University of Sydney | Faculty of Medicine and Health
Can artificial intelligence deep ensembled learning assist ultrasound imaging to provide accurate diagnosis of the supraspinatus tendon in remote and rural locations?
Lisa McGuire, AFASA is exploring whether artificial intelligence could help improve diagnosis of supraspinatus tendon tears in rural and remote settings.
“Early and accurate diagnosis of supraspinatus tendon tears is essential for treatment and patient outcomes,” Lisa explains. “However, in remote settings, ultrasound imaging services are often limited.”
Inspired by her travels in Southeast Asia and Africa, Lisa’s project uses a deep learning model with portable ultrasound technology to classify tendon tears, enabling it to be used as a triage tool.
“This project aims to potentially bridge the gap between increasing demand for diagnostic services and limited healthcare resources.”
An ASA Research Grant has supported fieldwork and the purchase of a portable wireless probe.
“I am excited about the prospect of offering a triage tool where imaging services are unavailable,” Lisa says. “If this can alleviate this burden for some people, I think it will be worthwhile.”
Putting patients at the centre of care
Dr Sandhya Maranna, FASA
| Adelaide University
Audit of patient satisfaction and experience of the consent process for transvaginal ultrasound
With support from an ASA Clinical Audit Grant, Dr Sandhya Maranna, FASA is examining patients’ experiences of the consent process for transvaginal ultrasound.
The prospective clinical audit asks patients whether they felt informed, respected, culturally safe and involved in decision-making throughout their examination.
After more than two decades in women's health ultrasound, Sandhya has seen first-hand how much communication can shape a patient's experience.
“For some, a transvaginal ultrasound is a routine examination, but for others, it may be associated with anxiety, previous trauma, cultural sensitivities or uncertainty about the procedure,” she says.
The project aims to identify practical ways to strengthen communication and consent.
“Ultimately, our goal is simple: every patient undergoing a transvaginal ultrasound should feel informed, respected, safe and empowered.”
The project’s abstract has also been accepted for presentation at the 2026 ISUOG World Congress.
Advice for 2026 Grant applicants
Thinking about applying for an ASA Grant? The three 2025 recipients share some simple advice.
- Give it a go, wherever you’re starting from. “You don't need to be an experienced researcher to make a valuable contribution,” Sandhya says. “Collaboration with colleagues, a clear clinical question and a commitment to improving practice are often the key ingredients for success.”
- Look to your everyday practice for ideas. “Many of the best research ideas arise from everyday clinical practice,” Sandhya says. “If you've identified a challenge that could improve patient care, the ASA Grants provide an excellent opportunity to transform that idea into a meaningful project.”
- Collaborate and find mentors. “Surround yourself with supportive mentors and researchers who can guide you through the process,” Casey advises. “The ASA Grant is a great opportunity to grow professionally.”
- Use the application to sharpen your idea. “Preparing your application requires you to clarify your objectives and articulate your research succinctly, establishing clear goals and expected outcomes,” Lisa says. “This is always of value.”
As Casey puts it simply: “Go for it!”
Applications for the 2026 ASA Grant program are open now and close on 30 September 2026.