Get Involved
We would love to hear from you! We're always looking for existing members that may wish to be more involved with ISTU, and want to serve on our committees working with our board members to help guide on our key initiatives. Also, please let us know if you are interested in open positions that may be available on our Board of Directors in the next term.
Please send any questions, suggestions or comments to our board members via an email to [email protected].
Meet the Board
Members of the Board are elected by ISTU members at each annual Symposium meeting for a period of 3 years.
President, Term Through ISTU 2027
Elisa E. Konofagou, PhD
Columbia University
Elisa Konofagou is the Robert and Margaret Hariri Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Professor Radiology as well as Director of the Ultrasound and Elasticity Imaging Laboratory at Columbia University in New York City. Her main interests are in the development of novel theranostic and therapeutic ultrasound methods for the advancement of therapeutic ultrasound. Her group has been working in the field for more than 18 years with applications in breast and pancreatic cancer ablation monitoring as well as brain therapeutics that involve drug delivery through the blood-brain barrier. Elisa has co-authored over 270 published articles in the aforementioned fields. She is recipient of the CAREER award by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Nagy award by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Technological Achievement Award by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) Engineering in Medicine and Biology society (EMBS), the Carl Hellmuth Hertz Ultrasonics Award by the IEEE Society in Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control (UFFC) gas well as additional recognitions by the American Heart Association, the Acoustical Society of America, the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine, the American Association of Physicists in Medicine, the Wallace H. Coulter foundation, the Bodossaki foundation, the Society of Photo-optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE) and the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
Secretary General, Term Through ISTU 2024
Antonios Pouliopoulos, Ph.D.
King's College London
Dr. Pouliopoulos received his B.Sc. in Physics from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in 2011, with a specialization in solid state physics. As an undergraduate student, he conducted research in thin film characterization using X-ray absorption spectroscopy in the University of Bologna, Italy, and the European Synchrotron Radiation facility in Grenoble, France. He earned his M.Sc. in Nanotechnology and Regenerative Medicine from University College London, United Kingdom, in 2013, where he conducted research on positron emission mammography and magnetic resonance imaging using superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles as contrast agents. He obtained his Ph.D. in Bioengineering from Imperial College London, United Kingdom, in 2017, for his work on controlling microbubble dynamics in ultrasound therapy. During his Ph.D., he developed multiple techniques in the field of therapeutic ultrasound, including rapid short-pulse therapy, Doppler passive acoustic mapping, and optical methods for investigating microbubble motion during ultrasound exposure. He worked as a postdoctoral research scientist and an associate research scientist in the Ultrasound Elasticity Imaging Laboratory at Columbia University, in New York City, NY, USA, from 2017 to 2021. Starting November 2021, he is a lecturer in therapeutic ultrasound in the Department of Surgical and Interventional Engineering at King’s College London. He has received multiple awards and serves as a reviewer for 25 international peer-reviewed journals. He has mentored over 80 high-school, undergraduate and graduate students in their research projects and has been involved in outreach events promoting scientific research to the community. His research interests include targeted drug delivery using ultrasound, microbubble dynamics in ultrasound therapy, ultrasound therapy monitoring, and clinical translation of therapeutic ultrasound.
Treasurer, Term Through ISTU 2027
Natasha D. Sheybani, Ph.D.
University of Virginia
Dr. Sheybani is an Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering and (by courtesy) of Radiology & Medical Imaging and Neurosurgery at the University of Virginia. Dr. Sheybani leads a translational research program centered on advancing focused ultrasound into the era of precision immuno-oncology for solid tumors of the brain and periphery. Her research interests include immunotherapy delivery, immuno-modulation, liquid biopsy, molecular imaging and imaging informatics. The Sheybani laboratory interfaces closely with multiple ongoing clinical trials at UVA that are evaluating combinatorial focused ultrasound and immunotherapy in metastatic breast cancer and other solid tumor settings.
Board Members: Term through ISTU 2027
Jürgen Götz, Ph.D.
Queensland Brain Institute in Brisbane, Australia
Professor Jürgen Götz is the inaugural Director of the Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research at the Queensland Brain Institute in Brisbane (Australia). Professor Götz studied biochemistry in Switzerland and earned his PhD in immunology with Nobel Laureate Köhler in Germany. After postdoctoral work at UCSF and at Novartis, he became a group leader in Zürich, before moving to the University of Sydney in 2005, and then to the University of Brisbane (Queensland Brain Institute) in 2012. A major focus of his laboratory is to gain insight into how tau and amyloid both separately and synergistically contribute to Alzheimer’s disease. In recent years, the laboratory has started to develop therapeutic ultrasound into a treatment modality for Alzheimer’s disease and other brain diseases, both by transiently opening the blood-brain barrier and as a neuromodulatory tool.
Klazina Kooiman, Ph.D.
Erasmus MC University Medical Center
Klazina Kooiman received the M.Sc. degree with honors (cum laude) in biopharmaceutical sciences specializing in pharmaceutical technology from Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands, in 2000, and the Ph.D. degree in ultrasound contrast agents for therapy from the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Thoraxcenter, Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam, the Netherlands, in 2011. She is currently an Associate Professor and the Head of the Therapeutic Ultrasound Contrast Agent Group, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Thoraxcenter, Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam. Her research focuses on the theragnostic field of ultrasound-activated microbubbles (1-8 µm in size) for local drug delivery and ultrasound molecular imaging of cardiovascular disease and cancer. To elucidate the mechanisms of microbubble-mediated drug delivery, she uses multidisciplinary translation technology at the cutting edge of engineering, biology, and pharmacy. The cell types she focuses on are 1) endothelial cells (i.e. the cells that line blood vessels) for vascular drug delivery, and 2) bacterial biofilms for infective endocarditis (i.e. microbial infection of the heart valves and surrounding tissue, including cardiac devices such as pacemakers). She is the co-director of the annual European Symposium on Ultrasound Contrast Imaging, Rotterdam, which is attended by approximately 180 scientists from universities and industries all over the world. She is the co-chair of the Contrast Agents track for the annual IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium.
Adam Maxwell, Ph.D.
Virginia Tech
Dr. Maxwell is a Research Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics at Virginia Tech. He has been involved in focused ultrasound research for over 20 years. His work centers on understanding and controlling mechanical effects of focused ultrasound to disintegrate soft tissues (histotripsy) and calcifications (lithotripsy). He is the lead inventor of burst wave lithotripsy, a focused ultrasound technique to fragment urinary stones. He has overseen most of the preclinical and technological development of burst wave lithotripsy, which is now in clinical trials. His other expertise includes acoustic modeling, ultrasound electronics, and piezoelectric transducer design and fabrication.
George R. Schade, M.D
University of Washington
George R. Schade, MD is an Associate Professor of Urology at the University of Washington. He completed his undergraduate and medical education at the University of Chicago, his Urology Residency at the University of Michigan, and SUO fellowship at the University of Washington. During his residency and fellowship he completed post-doctoral research training in the field of historipsy with Will Roberts, MD and Vera Khohklova, PhD. As a clinician-scientist he leads an R01 funded translational science program aimed at developing therapeutic ultrasound and imaging applications, with emphasis on histotripsy, to reduce the burden of cancer on patients and improve their quality of life. He is the director of the UW Prostate Cancer Focal Therapy Program and member of the West Coast Focal Therapy Collaborative. He is an active user of clinically available therapeutic ultrasound systems using HIFU to treat prostate cancer and investigate clinical outcomes of HIFU. Additionally, he is an active educator training the next generation of clinicians on the benefits of, indications for, and how to perform HIFU. He has been an active participant in ISTU for >10 years and is serving his second term on the ISTU board.
Rosie Xing, Ph.D
Laboratory of Cancer Stem Cell Translational Research Laboratory at Chongqing Medical University
Dr. Xing is a professor and the Director of the Laboratory of Cancer Stem Cell Translational Research Laboratory at Chongqing Medical University (P. R. China). Her research interests are primarily in modulation of tumor microenvironment in cancer metastasis, characterization and regulation of cancer stem cell properties, and the bioeffects and underlying mechanisms related to HIFU cancer treatment. Professor Xing is also the Managing Director of the International Business at Chongqing Haifu Medical. She is in charge of International Academic Exchanges, Global Planning, International Marketing and Business.
Board Members: Term through ISTU 2026
Jon K. Daigle - Industry Board Member
Verasonics, Inc
After joining Verasonics, Inc. in 2015, Jon was appointed as President & Chief Executive Officer in 2021. He thrives on the development and commercialization of cutting-edge technological advancements that will impact human health and safety. Jon is a seasoned business leader with over 17 years of experience in medical technology having held roles in corporate strategy, corporate development, strategic marketing, and product management at Medtronic, Becton Dickinson & Co., and others. He holds an MBA from Columbia Business School, and a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.
Holger Grüll - Geographic Region: Europe/Africa/Middle East Board Member
University Hospital Cologne
Holger Grüll studied chemistry in Cologne, Germany, and gained 1996 his PhD in Physical Chemistry. After several material science related PostDocs in the USA and Israel, he started his industry career at the Philips Research Laboratory in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, where he became later responsible for the in vivo research on molecular imaging and therapeutic applications. In 2007, Dr. Grüll was appointed professor for biomedical engineering at the Eindhoven University of Technology holding a chair for Molecular Imaging and Image-guided Interventions. In 2016, Dr. Grüll received an appointment full professor at the department of radiology, University Hospital Cologne, where Dr. Grüll is now responsible for the technology development, translational research, and application of MR-HIFU. Main HIFU research areas are histotripsy, hyperthermia, drug delivery in application areas such as pancreatic cancer, sarcoma and bone disease. Dr. Grüll also obtained his qualification and permit to act as a PI for clinical trials. Currently, he is the local PI for the EU Horizon 2020 funded clinical trial FURTHER and two clinical trials for MR-HIFU treatment of facet joint syndrome and pancreatic cancer. In 2021 he received the Pyrexar Award of the European Society of Hyperthermic Oncology for his outstanding contribution related to thermal therapies using MR-HIFU.
Tanya Khokhlova, PhD - Geographic Region: The Americas Board Member
University of Washington
Tanya Khokhlova, PhD. - Dr. Khokhlova’s is an Associate Professor of Research at the Department of Medicine, and a member of Center for Industrial and Medical Ultrasound, University of Washington. Her research interests are in the development of cavitation-based ultrasound interventions and associated devices for a number of clinical applications, as well as ultrasound imaging-based guidance methods for those therapies. Dr. Khokhlova is one of the inventors of boiling histotripsy and has been advancing its use for mechanical ablation of tumors, stimulation of anti-tumor immune response, and liquefaction of hematomas. Other interests include the use of cavitation for enhancing drug delivery and stimulating the release of cancer biomarkers.
Karun V. Sharma, M.D., Ph.D., FSIRDr. - Clinical Board Member
Children's National Hospital
Karun V. Sharma is Director of Interventional Radiology at Children’s National Hospital and Co-Director of the Focused Ultrasound Foundation Center of Excellence. He is Associate Professor of Radiology and Pediatrics at The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dr. Sharma leads the Image-Guided Non-Invasive Therapeutic Energy (IGNITE) program, a multi-disciplinary team of physicians and scientists, which aims to develop and clinically translate MR-HIFU applications for pediatric patients. His group is currently performing NIH-funded research and clinical trials on MR-HIFU ablation for treatment of benign and malignant pediatric bone and soft tissue tumors, as well as for enhanced drug delivery.
Shin Yoshizawa, Ph.D. - Geographic Region: Asia / Australasia Board Member
Tokoku University
Shin Yoshizawa, Ph.D., is a professor of Communication Engineering at Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan. His research interests include cavitation-enhanced HIFU therapy, sonodynamic therapy, ultrasound guidance of HIFU therapy, lithotripsy, and nonlinear acoustics. He has been an expert on dynamics of acoustic cavitation for 20 years. He has been collaborating with medical doctors and industries on the development of an ultrasound-guided cavitation-enhanced HIFU system andthe clinical studies treating pancreatic cancer, and recently founded a startup company for its implementation. He is a CTO in the company. He is also an expert member of IEC TC 87.
Board Members: Term through ISTU 2025
Hong Chen, Ph.D. – Academic Board Member
Dr. Chen is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Radiation Oncology at Washington University in St. Louis. She started her career in focused ultrasound research in 2002 when she was an undergraduate student in China. She has gained diverse expertise in the past 20 years, including ultrasound physics, bioeffects, imaging, and therapy. The mission of her research laboratory is to develop innovative focused ultrasound techniques for improving the lives of patients with brain diseases.
Francesco Prada, M.D. - Clinical Board Member
Dr. Prada is a neurosurgeon and Director of the Acoustic Neuro-Imaging and Therapy Lab (ANTY-Lab) at the Neurologic Institute C. Besta in Milan. He specializes in the use of ultrasound for imaging and therapy of the nervous system, from intra-operative guidance for tumor removal to US mediated post-operative treatments. He actively participates in clinical treatment and researches related to treatment of various brain disease, especially brain cancer, with focused ultrasound (BBB opening, sonodynamic therapy) and he is developing a system to perform transcranial ultrasound guided focused ultrasound procedure to perform US mediated treatments (USgtUS). He is Brain Program Advisor for the Focused Ultrasound Foundation.
Arjun (JJ) Desai, M.D. - Industry Board Member
Dr. Desai leads the strategy for future platforms, luminary ecosystem development, clinical and economic data analytics and modeling, and Medical Advisory Board operational support at INSIGHTEC. Dr. Desai comes to INSIGHTEC from Johnson & Johnson Innovation, where he held the position of Vice President and Chief Operating Officer responsible for delivering on the goals and objectives across the global JLABS organization and the Center for Device Innovation. Dr. Desai completed his advanced medical training at Stanford University where he sits on both clinical and Biodesign faculty. He holds an MD from University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and a B.S. in Economics from The University of Oklahoma.
Benoit Larrat, Ph.D. - At-Large Board Member
Benoit Larrat, Ph.D. is a researcher at the French Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, Paris Saclay University. He belongs to NeuroSpin a high field MRI neuro-imaging research center. He has been active in therapeutic ultrasound since 2007 (44 publications, 3 patents, h-index 22). His research focused on MR guidance techniques (thermometry, acoustic radiation force imaging, MR based adaptive focusing of ultrasound beams), mainly for brain applications (cancer, Alzheimer’s disease). He develops several transcranial MR guided FUS devices from preclinical (rodents, macaques) to clinical ones. He is involved in a large number of projects related to drug delivery after blood-brain barrier opening with a special interest in real time cavitation monitoring.
Eun-Joo Park, Ph.D. - At-Large Board Member
Dr. Park is a research professor at the Department of Radiology and Biomedical Research Institute at Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH) in Seoul, Korea. Her research is centered on the medical applications of focused ultrasound (FUS) including targeted drug delivery to the CNS, effective treatment of pancreatic cancer using FUS, enhanced cancer immunotherapy by FUS, sonodynamic therapy, and mechanical tissue stimulation/ablation. Besides being a researcher, she has been serving as a board member of the Korean Society for Therapeutic Ultrasound (KSTU).
Ex Officio Active Board Members
ISTU Immediate Past President, Term Through ISTU 2027
Cyril Lafon, Ph.D.
Research Director,
Head of LabTau, INSERM
Dr. Lafon earned his B.Sc. degree in Physics from University Blaise Pascal of Clermont Ferrand, France and University of Montreal, Quebec, in 1995, and his Ph.D. degree in Biomedical Engineering from University Claude Bernard of Lyon, France, in 1999. After developing interstitial HIFU probes during his Ph.D. study in INSERM Unit 281, Dr. Lafon joined for two years the Applied Physics Laboratory of the University of Washington, Seattle, as a postdoctoral research fellow. Dr. Lafon worked there on ultrasound induced hemostasis and the development of tissue mimicking phantoms for HIFU applications. Dr. Lafon was recruited by INSERM, Unit 556, in 2002 as a research scientist. He is now research director and head of LabTAU, INSERM Unit 1032. His recent research interests focus on modeling ultrasound wave propagation, development of ultrasonic therapeutic devices for thermal ablation or drug delivery and communication by ultrasound for medical applications. In July 2016 and for one year, Cyril Lafon joined the department of radiation oncology of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville (USA).
W. Apoutou N’Djin received the M. Eng. degree in Instrumentation from the National Graduate School of Engineering & Research Center of Caen (Ensicaen, France) in 2004, the M.S. degree in Image & Signal Processing from the Centrale Graduate School of Lyon (ECL, France), in 2005, and the Ph.D. degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University Claude Bernard Lyon I (UCBL, University of Lyon, France), in 2008. From 2005 to 2008, he completed his PhD thesis at the LabTAU laboratory (Lyon, France) of the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM) and UCBL, on intraoperative USgHIFU therapies for focal thermal ablations of liver metastases. From 2009 to 2011, he joined the Imaging Research Laboratory of Sunnybrook (SRI, Toronto, Canada) and University of Toronto (U of T, Canada), as a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow to study endocavitary/interstitial MRgHICU therapies for conformal thermal ablations of localized tumors in prostate and brain. In 2012, he returned to LabTAU as a Junior Researcher, and has worked there since 2013 as a Research Associate (PI). His research interests include focal/conformal image-guided HIFU/HICU therapies, novel MEMs-based CMUTs technologies, and the mechanisms/applications of FUS neurostimulation. Dr. N’Djin has been a member of the ISTU since 2011, the national SFGBM since 2015, the IEEE UFFC since 2016 and the ITRUSST consortium since 2021, among others. Since 2022, he has served as a Member of INSERM’s national Specialized Scientific Commission “Technologies for Health”. In 2019, he received the international Frederic LIZZI Early Career Award of the ISTU (ISTU/EUFUS symposium, Barcelona, Spain).
David Goertz, Ph.D., Co-Organizer, ISTU 2022, Term Through ISTU 2025
Ex Officio Previous Organizers
Jae-Young Lee, Co-Organizer, ISTU 2021, Term Through ISTU 2024
Joan Vidal-Jové, M.D., Ph.D., Organizer, ISTU 2019, Term Through ISTU 2022Chrit Moonen, Organizer, ISTU 2015
Kim Butts-Pauly, Organizer, ISTU 2014
Guofeng Shen, Organizer, ISTU 2013
Stephen Meairs, Organizer, ISTU 2012
Elisa Konofagou, Co-Organizer, ISTU 2011
Robert Muratore, Co-Organizer, ISTU 2011
ISTU Executive Director
Shelly Reid