Foundation’s Summer Internship Program Celebrates Decade

Published:

Key Points

  • This year, the Foundation accepted a record 15 students and recent graduates as summer interns.
  • Their projects ranged from technical research to advocacy and communications.
  • The Foundation’s summer technical internships are generously funded by the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation.

During its tenth year, the Foundation’s Summer Internship Program accepted a record 15 students and2021 Intern group photo 1000 recent graduates to work on a range of projects. The technically focused interns addressed analyzing ultrasound wave behavior in a real-world application, constructing computer-based models for treatment planning, and simulating focused ultrasound procedures to improve patient care.

Other projects included analyzing the state of focused ultrasound research to tackle clinical unmet needs or researching innovative ways to improve future research.

Interns also worked with Foundation team members in the areas of communications and advocacy.

The Foundation’s summer technical internships are generously funded by the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation. The Claude Moore Summer Internship Program of the Charles Steger Focused Ultrasound Internship Program is designed to foster interest in focused ultrasound technology among the next generation of researchers.

This year, amid the ongoing pandemic, the Foundation allowed interns to work either in the office or remotely, according to their preference.

“It was great to be able to work in-person again with some interns,” said the Foundation’s Director of Extramural Research, Matt Eames, PhD. “The group achieved a great deal of useful work and actionable analysis during the summer, from strategies to improve our bi-weekly newsletter to finalizing a revision of our academic paper describing a low-cost hydrophone scanning tank that should help more labs get started in the field of focused ultrasound.”

Intern Zoom Photo FINAL 1000

Dr. Eames is pictured at bottom center, alongside most of the summer interns and their Foundation mentors. 

As an informal end to the summer, Dr. Eames hosted a gathering of interns and their mentors, which included engineering challenges and dinner. Also new this year, the group participated in a tour of nearby Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, which was led by the Foundation’s Chief Relationship Officer, Ann Taylor.

At the end of their term, the interns presented their findings to the Foundation team. The recording of each presentation is included on the individual pages below.

Click on each intern below to read a summary of their project and learn about their experience:

Isabella Berkeley
Baruch College
Telemedicine and Telesurgery White Paper

Isha Bhatia
University of Virginia
Sonodynamic Therapy Landscape Analysis

Dawn Bordenave
Xavier University of Louisiana, Harvard University
Focused Ultrasound Foundation’s Hydrophone Tank Lens Application
Expanding Simulation Research at FUSF using CIVA Software

Jackie Brenner
Penn State University, Harvard University
Review paper on Theranostics in the Vasculature: Bioeffects of Ultrasound and Microbubbles to Induce Vascular Shut Down
Cancer Immunotherapy Landscape Analysis

Caleb Hallinan
University of Virginia
Ultrasound Microbubble Tumor Analysis

Leslie Hansen
University of Virginia School of Medicine
Sonodynamic Therapy Landscape Analysis

Colin Haws
University of Virginia
Optimization and Application of the Focused Ultrasound Foundation’s Low-Cost Hydrophone Scanning System

Adam Kippenhan
University of Virginia
Neuronavigation with Virtual Reality and Kranion

Kathleen Nguyen
University of Virginia
Neuronavigation with Kranion

Darrah Sheehan
Western Albemarle High School
Optimizing Internet-Based Electronic Outreach Regarding Focused Ultrasound: Facilitating Broader Understanding, Reach, and Engagement

Kimball Sheehan
University of Virginia
Optimizing Internet-Based Electronic Outreach Regarding Focused Ultrasound: Facilitating Broader Understanding, Reach, and Engagement

Dylan Shen
Cornell University
Profiling Asia-Based Companies and Conducting Research on Strategics in Relation to Regulatory Approved Focused Ultrasound Indications

Jack Snell
Graduate of Piedmont Virginia Community College
High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) Knee Phantom

Juliette Strubel
University of Exeter, United Kingdom
Focused Ultrasound for Gene Therapy Review

Samia Taliaferro
North Carolina Central University
Advocacy to Expand Equitable Access to Focused Ultrasound Treatment in Women’s Health