We’re excited to share that a new paper, “A multifunctional theranostic ultrasound platform for remote magnetogenetics and expanded blood-brain barrier opening,” has been published in Brain Stimulation (DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2025.10.006). Led by Alec Batts, the study demonstrates the first focused-ultrasound delivery of magnetic nanoparticles to the brain and non-invasive co-delivery of voltage indicators and thermoreceptors for magnetogenetics. The theranostic ultrasound (ThUS) system also introduces a novel MOVE pulse sequence that expands BBB opening volume in a single treatment, enabling…
Congratulations to our Neuromodulation group for being awarded an R18 grant from NIH-HEAL!
We were very happy to see old friends and alumni of UEIL with their students in Utrecht for the annual IUS conference. It was great to celebrate with everyone again and see how much the UEIL extended family has grown! See you next year in the US - for an even bigger reunion!
On September 26, 2025, the First Lady of Greece, Mareva Grabowski-Mitsotakis, visited the Ultrasound and Elasticity Imaging Lab, to learn about new therapies for children with brain cancer.
We are thrilled to celebrate our lab's PhD student, Yangpei Liu, who was recently highlighted in September's spotlight by Columbia University's Department of Biomedical Engineering.
We are thrilled to announce that Sua Bae's latest paper, "Ultrasound flow imaging for assessing cerebrovascular changes following focused-ultrasound blood-brain barrier opening," has been accepted to be published in Theranostics (DOI: 10.7150/thno.98098). The paper harnesses contrast-enhanced power Doppler and ultrasound localization microscopy (ULM) to monitor and quantify Mb-FUS-induced cerebrovascular changes in mice both with and without skull. Huge congratulations to Sua Bae and the others for their outstanding work!
We are thrilled to celebrate our former lab member, Alec Batts, who was recently highlighted in a special alumni spotlight by Columbia University's Department of Biomedical Engineering. Alec completed his PhD earlier this year in our lab.
In the spotlight, Alec shared his journey from his initial fascination with biomedical technology to his PhD research in focused ultrasound for non-invasive gene delivery to the primate brain. His passion for using biomedical engineering to address real-world challenges shines through, along with his strong commitment to mentorship and collaboration.
Alec also recounted…
A collaboration between the laboratories of Dr. Elisa E. Konofagou (Biomedical Engineering & Radiology) and Dr. Kam W. Leong (Biomedical Engineering) at Columbia University has been published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia (DOI: 10.1002/alz.70464). The paper explores the use of focused ultrasound (FUS) to transiently open the blood–brain barrier, enabling systemic delivery of adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors carrying CRISPR gene editing components to knock down human APOE ε4 in a humanized mouse model.
Title: Focused ultrasound-mediated APOE4 knockdown in mouse brain
Authors: Kaiyuan…
Researchers at the Ultrasound and Elasticity Imaging Laboratory, led by Dr. Elisa Konofagou, are collaborating with Dr. Stergios Zacharoulis at Columbia University Irving Medical Center on a new clinical trial for treating diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), a rare and aggressive brain tumor in children.
The treatment uses focused ultrasound to temporarily open the blood-brain barrier, allowing existing drugs to reach tumors that would otherwise be inaccessible. This method is noninvasive and does not require anesthesia. Children remain awake during the session, which involves a brief application…
Members of Columbia University’s Ultrasound and Elasticity Imaging Laboratory (UEIL) enjoyed a summer outing to the Barclays Center on June 17, 2025, to watch the New York Liberty face off against the Atlanta Dream.
In a thrilling matchup, the Liberty overcame a 17-point deficit to win 86–81, led by a dominant 32-point performance from Sabrina Ionescu. The Dream’s loss ended their bid for a spot in the Commissioner’s Cup final, while the Fever advanced in their place.
The outing was a great opportunity for the team to connect outside the lab and celebrate a strong year of research, collaboration,…
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life these are the scientists that made
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the discovery that led to the medicine
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that saved Jack's life this is the lab
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that employed the scientists that made
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the discovery that led to the medicine
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saved Jack's life these are the
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instruments Computing safety training
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facilities security custodians Outreach
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seminars supplies Administration and
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repairs supported the lab ployed the
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scientists that made the discovery that
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led to the medicine had saved Jack's
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life these are the indirect costs that
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paid for all of those things that
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supported the lab and employed the
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scientists that made the discovery that
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led to the medicine saved Jack's life
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and this is what happens when you cut
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indirect costs
Scientific breakthroughs don’t happen in isolation; they depend on a vast infrastructure that often goes unseen. An animation from Columbia’s Zuckerman Institute, What Are Indirect Costs?, highlights the critical role of indirect costs in the research ecosystem.
The video traces the journey from a life-saving medicine to the many layers of support that made its discovery possible: the scientists, the lab, the training, the instruments, and the infrastructure behind it all. These layers are made possible by indirect costs-funds that cover essentials like safety systems, utilities, administrative…
Sergio Jiménez-Gambín will present his research titled “Hologram-assisted focused ultrasound for brain therapy” at the 188th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA), taking place in New Orleans, Louisiana from May 18–23, 2025.
Jiménez-Gambín’s talk is scheduled for Monday, May 19, as part of the session “1aPAa: Acoustic Holograms and Wavefront Modulation Techniques.” His work investigates the use of acoustic holography to enhance the precision and efficacy of focused ultrasound applications for neurological therapies, offering promising advances in non-invasive brain treatment…