Our Team

Welcome to our team page, where innovation meets expertise and passion drives excellence.

At Universal Ultrasound, we take pride in showcasing the diverse talents and unwavering dedication of our young female sonographers and educators. As pioneers in the field, our team members bring a wealth of knowledge, experience, and a fresh perspective to every endeavor. From pushing the boundaries of technology to nurturing the next generation of medical professionals, each member of our team plays an integral role in shaping the future of healthcare.

Get to know the faces behind our success and discover the driving force behind our commitment to delivering top-notch care and education.

Julie Cardoso RDCS, RVT, RPHS

CEO, Founder

Julie serves as CEO on the Universal Ultrasound team. She has over two decades of experience in the ultrasound field and passion for direct patient care. She holds three registry credentials as a Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer, Registered Vascular Technologist, and Registered Phlebology Sonographer.

On her spare time, Julie enjoys golfing, piloting helicopters, lifting weights, and lifting spirits.

Her catchphrase is “Seeing is believing.”

Jenny Bogert RVT, RDCS

Sonographer, Educator

Jenny serves as sonographer and educator on the Universal Ultrasound team. She holds two registry credentials as Registered Vascular Technologist and Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer.

On her spare time. Jenny enjoys playing with her dogs, seeing Broadway shows, and drinking coffee.

Her catchphrase is “Everything happens for a reason.”

Jennifer Varga, RVT, RDCS

Sonographer, Educator

Jennifer serves as sonographer and educator on the Universal Ultrasound team. She holds two registry credentials as Registered Vascular Technologist and Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer.

On her spare time. Jennifer enjoys traveling the world and spending quality time with her husband, her toddler, and her spoiled Frenchie dog.

Her catchphrase is “Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear.”

Jessica Flynn, RVT, RDCS

Sonographer, Educator

I'm Jessica Flynn, a seasoned professional specializing in advanced vascular studies and echocardiograms. My expertise lies in imaging intricate areas such as stents, bypass grafts, diffuse vascular disease, venous reflux, ilio-caval compression, and conducting radiofrequency ablations.

Beyond my technical skills, my true enthusiasm lies in education. I derive immense satisfaction from not only sharing my knowledge but also guiding others in optimizing their imaging techniques, exploring diverse approaches to achieve desired results, and emphasizing the importance of ergonomics.

Above all, my ultimate goal is to contribute to the well-being of patients.

Jennifer Giammarino, RVT

Sonographer, Educator

Jennifer serves as sonographer and educator on the Universal Ultrasound team. She holds a registry credential as a Registered Vascular Technologist.

On her spare time. Jennifer enjoys reading, cooking food, nature, and spending time with her Akita dog, “Bear”.

Her catchphrase is “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Alyssa Cabassa, RVS, RCS

Sonographer, Educator

Alyssa serves as sonographer and educator on the Universal Ultrasound team. She holds two registry credentials as Registered Vascular Specialist and Registered Cardiac Sonographer.

On her spare time, Alyssa enjoys crocheting and spending quality time with her family.

Her catchphrase is “You only have one life so why not live it happy?”

Alexa Comerford, RVT

Sonographer, Educator

Alexa serves as sonographer and educator on the Universal Ultrasound team. She holds a registry credential as Registered Vascular Technologist.

On her spare time, Alexa enjoys listening to music, going on long walks with her dogs, and spending time with her family and friends.

Her catchphrase is "Life isn't about finding yourself, it's about creating yourself."

Nicole Nugent, RVT

Sonographer, Educator

Nicole serves as sonographer and educator on the Universal Ultrasound team. She holds a registry credential as Registered Vascular Technologist.

In her spare time, Nicole enjoys sketching, painting, and working out.

Her catchphrase is "The only way to do great work is to love what you do."

Lisa Treacy

Operation Manager

Schooling: Bachelor's degree in English from Temple University
Certified EKG Technician

In her spare time, Lisa enjoys nature walks, writing, and relaxing with her cats and a good book.

Her catchphrase is "Happiness comes from being who you actually are instead of who you think you are supposed to be." - Shonda Rhimes

Heather O'Connor, RVT

Sonographer, Educator

Heather has been a registered vascular technologist since 2010. She specializes in TCD, neonatal and pediatrics.

In her spare time she enjoys paddleboarding, skiing, hiking, camping and spending time with her family.

Her catchphrase is "Work hard, play hard!"

Susan Gustavson, RVT, RDMS

Sonographer, Educator

Susan serves as an educator on the Universal Ultrasound team. She holds two registry credentials as Registered Vascular Technologist and Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer.

In her spare time. Susan enjoys playing with her dogs, walking on the beach, and drinking coffee.

Her catchphrase is “Make it happen.”

Tim Jonassen, MBA, RVT, RPhS

Sonographer, Educator

Tim has spent over 23 years as a vascular ultrasound technologist assisting in many areas of critical patient care, most recently at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, MO. He has over 15 years of experience as a Chief Business Development Officer and Vascular Clinic Director of various vein & vascular clinics, has spent over 10 years as a consultant for Medtronic, Boston Scientific and Guidepoint Global and has instructed domestically and internationally.

Tim enjoys long walks on the beach and paddle boarding.

His catchphrase is "You gotta want it".

Jessica Norton, RVT, RDMS

Sonographer, Educator

Jessica serves as sonographer and educator on the Universal Ultrasound team. She holds two registry credentials as Registered Vascular Technologist and Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer.

In her spare time she enjoys spending time her family, kids soccer games and summers at the beach.

Her catchphrase is: "Gratefulness gets you more in life".

Liana Benyamin, RVT

Sonographer, Educator

Liana serves as an educator for Universal Ultrasound. She holds registry credentials as a registered vascular technologist since 2007.

In her spare time she plays tennis, enjoys pilates and baking.

Her catchphrase is "It's all good"

Dawn Tran, RVT

Sonographer, Educator

Dawn has spent 18 years as a vascular technologist supporting the Vascular Surgery team at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO. She holds registry credential as a Registered Vascular Technologist and has her BS in Healthcare Management.

In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, traveling and anything outdoors.

Her catchphrase is "Don't talk about it, Be About it"

Rachael Samonski

Marketing Specialist

Rachael is the Marketing Specialist at Universal Ultrasound. She graduated from Rider University with a Bachelor's in Marketing and a Master's in Business Communications. She is enrolled in the Diagnostic Medical Sonography program at American Institute in Toms River.

In her free time, Rachael loves going to the beach, shopping, traveling, exercising, and trying new restaurants.

Her favorite quote is: "How you make others feel about themselves, says a lot about you."