Meet the New Foundation Team Members

Hongchae Iris Baek, PhD – Program Manager 
Iris oversees funded projects that advance focused ultrasound neuromodulation. She previously worked at the US Food and Drug Administration’s Medical Acoustics Program after completing postdoctoral fellowships at Washington University in St. Louis and the Cleveland Clinic. Her training and interests have centered on neurological applications of ultrasound. 

Philip Bergman, DVM, MS, PhD, DACVIM-Oncology – Veterinary Program Director  
Phil is a leader in veterinary oncology who most recently served as global director of clinical studies for Mars Veterinary Health and previously directed clinical studies at VCA Animal Hospitals. He is the principal veterinary investigator for the fully licensed canine melanoma vaccine, Oncept, and serves as adjunct faculty at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. 

Mike Cashman, CAPT, USN Retired – Senior Advisor 
Mike rejoined the Focused Ultrasound Foundation as a senior advisor with a focus on high-level relationships that will increase the impact of focused ultrasound technology. He is a 28-year Navy veteran and former Navy helicopter pilot who most recently served as the executive director of the UVA School of Education and Human Development Foundation. 

Tonya Cherukuri, PhD – Veterinary Program Manager 
Tonya oversees funded projects that advance focused ultrasound veterinary research. Before coming to the Foundation, she was a vice president at Applied NanoFluorescence, where she spearheaded the design, development, and manufacturing of custom multimode optical instruments and led a Phase I/II Small Business Innovation Research Project to develop novel spectroscopic instrumentation for the National Institute of Standards and Technology. 

David Hendrick – Media Relations Manager 
Dave collaborates with journalists and news outlets to generate awareness of focused ultrasound and its life-changing applications. He has worked as a reporter for various newspapers and trade publications, as well as in communications roles for UVA Health and the University of Virginia Darden School of Business. 

Helen Laurence – Director of Development and Strategic Impact 
Helen joined the UK Focused Ultrasound Foundation to spearhead further development of the UK organization, raise awareness of the therapeutic possibilities of focused ultrasound, and advocate for additional research. She has more than 20 years of experience in the healthcare communications industry, most recently as a senior vice president and managing director of international agencies for Precision AQ. 

Jenna Osborn, PhD – Research Project Manager 
Jenna accelerates the development of focused ultrasound in her role as a research project manager. Previously, Jenna spent five years at the US Food and Drug Administration, and most recently served as a project manager for research in the Center for Devices and Radiological Health. 

Larissa Popp – Senior Executive Assistant 
Larissa brings more than a decade of administrative, operational, and project management experience to the Foundation from her work in international development. Before joining the Foundation, she held a variety of roles with FHI 360, providing high-level support for global health, education, and non-governmental organization capacity-strengthening initiatives in Iraq and Africa. 

Allegra Skare – Scholars Intern 
Allegra has joined the Foundation for a year-long internship between university and graduate school to contribute to the research and education team’s functions. She earned her BS in physics from the University of Bristol in 2025, where her research focused on targeted radiotherapy and included an ultrasound physics laboratory experience. 

Erica Szymanski – Darden Focused Ultrasound Fellow 
Erica advances focused ultrasound technology at the Foundation by developing digital marketing campaigns and cross-team initiatives. After receiving her BS in Commerce from the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia, she completed a Dean’s Fellowship at the Darden School of Business as a Future Year Scholar.