top of page

 RESEARCH THEMES

Developing advanced ultrasound techniques for imaging and therapeutic interventions

Focused Brain Interventions

  • Acoustic Holography

Acoustic holography example.png

Illustration by Noe Jimenez

We design and 3D-print acoustic lenses to bend acoustic fields into arbitrary patterns. Using anatomical information and advanced imaging techniques, we shape the acoustic field to treat entire brain structures (e.g., the hippocampus) or disease sites (e.g., brain tumours). 

  • Remote neuronal activation

Non-invasive optogenetics concept - illustration - 2.jpg

Illustration by Nicoletta Barolini

We use focused ultrasound and gene delivery vehicles (e.g., viral vectors) to modify neurons and make them responsive to external stimuli (e.g., light).  Using non-invasive and remote excitation approaches, we excite or inhibit distinct neural pathways, in an effort to understand brain connectivity and treat neurological conditions, such as epilepsy.

  • Targeted drug delivery into the brain

BBB opening example.png

We use focused ultrasound and circulating microbubbles to disrupt the blood-brain barrier for targeted drug delivery into the brain.  This non-invasive approach can increase the delivered doses of multiple drugs (e.g., chemotherapeutics, growth factors, proteins, and viral vectors) and drug delivery vehicles (e.g. liposomes and nanoparticles). Our group's primary focus is the treatment of paediatric and adult brain tumours.

  • Mechanical modulation of brain tumours using focused ultrasound

FUS bioeffects.png

We investigate how focused ultrasound (FUS) can stimulate mechanosensitive ion channels, such as Piezo channels, to influence brain cancer cell behaviour. By adapting FUS parameters, we aim to activate these channels and potentially trigger tumour cell death through downstream signalling pathways. This approach explores a novel avenue in neuro-oncology, leveraging acoustic forces to stimulate mechanobiological responses in tumour cells that could aid in cancer treatment.

  • Robot-assisted ultrasound therapy

Robotic ultrasound therapy

We combine robotics and custom-designed transducers to perform robot-assisted ultrasound therapy. Using advanced 6- and 7-degrees-of-freedom (7-DOF) robotic arms, we develop automated targeting routines to accelerate procedures such as blood-brain barrier opening. In combination with real-time imaging techniques and acoustic feedback, we can compensate for patient motion and treat multiple structures across arbitrary trajectories.

  • Photoacoustic monitoring of brain treatments

Photoacoustic imaging.png

We develop  photoacoustic (PA) imaging methods for real-time monitoring of blood-brain barrier (BBB) opening to identify BBB disruption and downstream effects during focused ultrasound  treatment. Our work involves optimizing wavelength range and light delivery geometry of light source to obtain optimal PA images.

Super-resolution Ultrasound Imaging

  • Super-resolution imaging of the microvasculature

superreso.png
RotatingSpiral_EPIQ_080817_2_hJGobn.gif

Our research interests include ultrasound and contrast enhanced ultrasound imaging, with a focus on image and signal analysis of ultrasound data, ranging from fundamental studies to clinical applications. Our principal research involves the development of super-resolution ultrasound imaging techniques for quantitative and functional imaging of the microvasculature, along with developing techniques for artefact correction including aberration and motion correction techniques.

Ultrasound for Imaging & Material Characterisation

  • Coherent multi-transducer ultrasound imaging

001PWs_CoMTUS.gif
figure2.jpg

We coherently compound images from multiple transducers using our novel CoMTUS method to increase resolution, contrast to noise ratio and field of view. Our work involves optimizing beamforming techniques and spatial orientations of the transducers to obtain the best images possible, developing the real-time imaging capabilities of our system and improving material characterisation predictions.

bottom of page