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…
We are thrilled to share that two members of our lab were recognized for their outstanding achievements at the Columbia BME 2025 Department Celebration, held on May 15 aboard the Baylander Steel Beach.
Alec Batts was selected as a recipient of the 2025 Yuen-huo Hung and Chao-chin Huang Graduate Award, one of the department’s highest honors. This award recognizes two graduating doctoral students each year for their significant contributions to biomedical engineering and public health, as well as their role as ambassadors for the field. The award honors the legacies of Professor Clark T. Hung’s…
Tuhin Roy will present his ongoing research titled “Towards Characterizing Soft Tissue Viscoelasticity using Harmonic Shear Wave Elastography” at the 188th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA), to be held in New Orleans, Louisiana from May 18–23, 2025.
Roy’s presentation is scheduled for Tuesday, May 20, as part of the session on “Technological Developments & Emerging Biomarkers in Elasticity Imaging II.” His work contributes to the evolving field of elasticity imaging by exploring harmonic shear wave methods for characterizing the viscoelastic properties of soft biological…
The Ultrasound and Elastography Imaging Laboratory at Columbia University is pleased to announce that incoming graduate student Rosie Wang has been selected as a Blavatnik Fellow at Columbia Engineering’s Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science.
The Blavatnik Fellowship is the highest distinction awarded by Columbia Engineering through the Blavatnik Fund for Engineering Innovations in Health. This fellowship recognizes exceptional graduate students committed to advancing research at the intersection of engineering and human health.
This recognition reflects Ms. Wang’s outstanding…
We are proud to share that Alec Batts has been selected as the recipient of the 2025 Jaffe Prize, awarded by Columbia Engineering faculty to a student who exemplifies exceptional curiosity, inventiveness, and a commitment to improving the human condition. This prestigious honor recognizes Alec’s continued drive for innovation and his impactful contributions to the field of biomedical engineering.
The Jaffe Prize is presented annually to a student whose work reflects the legacy of Bernard Jaffe ’38, ’39—combining theoretical excellence with hands-on problem-solving to address real-world challenges…
Melina Tourni, PhD, presented her latest work on the implementation of Electromechanical Wave Imaging (EWI) using a clinical, portable ultrasound scanner at the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) 2025 Annual Meeting in San Diego. Her poster, titled “Implementation of Electromechanical Mapping in a clinical, portable ultrasound scanner for fast arrhythmia localization,” was featured on April 25th from 1–3 PM PDT in the Abstract Pavilion.
This study highlights the integration of EWI into a portable, FDA-approved echocardiography system for noninvasive arrhythmia localization beyond the capabilities…