IEEE Ultrasonics Distinguished Lecture

The University of Waterloo is excited to host the IEEE Ultrasonics Distinguished Lecturer, Ayache Bouakaz on November 24, 2023, for an exciting lunch seminar on "Ultrasound and Microbubbles for Anticancer Drug Delivery: From Physics to Clinics" from 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

About the Seminar

Utlrasound, in conjunction with microbubbles, offers a promising drug delivery. This approach, known as sonoporation, enables targeted drug delivery by temporarily permeating biological barriers (e.g., cell membrane, vessel wall) under ultrasound insonation. It shows potential for a wide range of therapeutic agents, including chemotherapeutics, nucleic acids, peptides and antibodies. While preclinical studies have demonstrated promise, several challenges must be addressed for clinical translation. These include standardizing utlrasound parameters, selecting suitable microbubbles, identifying optimal clinical applications, and resolving questions about administration methods and treatment schedules. Additionally, the type and concentration of microbubbles, as well as their response to ultrasound activation, play critical roles. The ultimate goal is to facilitate the adoption of this technology in clinical settings, and ongoing and future trials aim to further advance drug delivery through sonoporation.

About the Lecturer

Ayache Bouakaz is currently the IEEE Ultrasonics Distinguished Lecturer (2023-2024) and the Research Director of the INSERM Imaging and Brain Institute (iBrain) in Tours, France. His research focuses on imaging and therapeutic applications of ultrasound and contrast agents, and transducer design. Dr. Bouakaz received the M.S. degree in acoustics and the Ph.D. degree from the Department of Electrical Engineering, INSA Lyon, Villeurbanne, France, in 1992 and 1996, respectively. In 1998, he joined the Department of Bioengineering, Penn State University, State College, PA, USA, as a Postdoctoral Researcher for two years. From 1999 to 2004, he was an Associate Professor with the Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Since 2009, he has been a Research Director at INSERM. Dr. Bouakaz was the General Chair and the Co-Chair of the 2016 and 2021 the IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium, and he has previously served as Vice-President, Symposia of the IEEE Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control Society.

If you have any questions about this seminar, please contact Alfred Yu.

Register

Registration will close on November 22, 2023 at 12:00 p.m. *Room is to be determined.