MRI-Guided Cardiac Focused Ultrasound Ablation

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The long-term goal of this project is to develop a noninvasive treatment for hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM). Focused ultrasound (FUS) is a promising technique for noninvasive thermal ablation. The effort proposed here addresses the main technical challenges to using focused ultrasound therapy in the heart. Specifically, we aim to 1) evaluate the efficacy of magnetic resonance (MR) guided phased array focused ultrasound (FUS) therapy to non-invasively ablate the myocardium, including strategies to target the heart in the presence of beam path obstruction by ribcage and lungs and to synchronize the ablation to the rhythm of the heart, 2) develop robust real-time targeting and temperature monitoring in the heart using magnetic resonance imaging, and 3) perform initial testing and evaluation ofthe system. My immediate career goal is to develop the necessary FUS ablation and MR imaging strategies to make MRguided FUS ablation a noninvasive alternative for the treatment of HOCM. During the mentored phase, I have participated in interdisciplinary collaboration between the Departments of Radiology, Cardiology, and Electrical Engineering at Stanford University. I was able to gain an understanding of cardiac physiology and ofthe principles of therapeutic ultrasound, in addition to further developing my expertise in cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and MR-thermometry. I have accepted a faculty position at University of California San Francisco in the Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging where I can independently research and develop MR-guided focused ultrasound techniques with potential clinical applications. My long-term career goal is to continually contribute to the field of MR-guided focused ultrasound therapy and to make a fundamental impact on patient care_by exploring new, less invasive treatment options.