Audrey Spelde, MD
Dr. Audrey Spelde completed her medical degree at The George Washington University before pursuing residency training in Anesthesiology at the University of Pennsylvania. She subsequently completed fellowships in Critical Care Medicine and Adult Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology, followed by an NIH T32 postdoctoral research fellowship and a Master of Science in Translational Research at the University of Pennsylvania, where she later joined the faculty.
During her time at Penn, Dr. Spelde became a member of the Penn Lung Rescue Mobile ECMO Team, ultimately serving as its Medical Director before assuming the role of ECMO Medical Director for the University of Pennsylvania Health System. Her clinical and research interests focus on optimizing mechanical circulatory support, with particular emphasis on right ventricular support and the microcirculation. Dr. Spelde is excited to join the University of Virginia, where she looks forward to expanding the Mobile ECMO Program and increasing access to advanced extracorporeal life support for critically ill patients throughout the region, regardless of where they initially present for care.
Outside of medicine, Dr. Spelde is the wife of Dr. Michael Ibrahim, who is joining UVA as Director of the Robotic Cardiac Surgery Program. Together they have an almost two-year-old daughter, Pippa, and an English Pointer named Cairo – We are all excited to be joining the UVA Family! In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis and the piano, anything water-related, and traveling. Ask her about sailing in Greece or traveling to Japan with a toddler!