Frederick Kremkau, PhD

About Frederick Kremkau

Frederick Kremkau, PhD, earned his master’s and doctoral degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Rochester. He served as a lieutenant in the United States Navy from 1963 to 1967, working with sonar and ultrasound for submarine detection. His career focus on medical ultrasound began early, stemming from this experience and joint interests in acoustics, medicine and electrical technology.

In 1972, he joined Wake Forest School of Medicine as a research instructor to study the use of ultrasound in cancer therapy. After a brief role as associate professor of diagnostic radiology at Yale University School of Medicine, he returned to Wake Forest in 1985, where he has worked ever since as the director of the Program for Medical Ultrasound.

Kremkau’s career focuses on the application of ultrasound to medicine and biology, with research efforts concentrated on ultrasonic molecular absorption mechanisms, the acoustic properties of tissue, ultrasonic cancer therapy and sonographic artifacts and safety of diagnostic ultrasound. In 1975, he co-founded the Center for Medical Ultrasound (now called the Program for Medical Ultrasound) at Wake Forest School of Medicine, which is today one of only two ultrasound training centers in the nation based at a medical institution.

Actively involved in professional leadership efforts, Frederick Kremkau served as president of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM), the national physician ultrasound organization, from 1997 to 1999. He chaired twelve committees of the institute, including the bioeffects committee, and was the associate editor of the Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine for more than 20 years. He also authored the ninth edition of Sonography: Principles and Instruments, a leading reference for ultrasound physics and instrumentation.

In addition to authoring Sonography: Principles and Instruments, he teaches courses on basic and emerging technologies in ultrasound at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and nationwide, sharing new clinical applications and techniques like point-of-care ultrasound. He co-directs the Annual AIUM Advanced Ultrasound Seminar and The Leading Edge Diagnostic Ultrasound Annual Conference. He also actively collaborates with technology and electronic companies worldwide like General Electric Healthcare, Philips Healthcare and SonoSite, assisting with product introductions and directing educational seminars.