Guillaume joined us at the Foundation for a short time along with his mentor and former fellow, Jean-Francois Aubry. He will continue his internship at the Institute Langevin in Paris, France.
Project: Detection and quantification of microbubbles’ acoustic signal through the skull.
Overview & Goal: The blood-brain barrier (BBB) separates the brain from the circulating blood, making drug delivery a challenge. Non-invasive localized BBB opening can be achieved with focused ultrasound used in conjunction with injection of an ultrasound contrast agent. The mechanical stress exerted by the expanding bubbles induces BBB disruption. To achieve safe and reliable BBB opening, it is important to monitor the microbubbles’ activity in real time. The goal of my project, which will be continued in my PhD thesis, is to detect this signal through the skull by passive cavitation detection. In particular, I run simulations to better understand how the skull bone attenuates the signal.
Results/Findings/Outcome: The first simulations seem to be consistent with previous results (in vivo, in vitro, and in silica) concerning skull effects. But I need more time to confirm that.
Describe your time at the Focused Ultrasound Foundation.
Only two weeks! Really too short. It was definitely an amazing experience for me, and my first time in the United States, too. I would be pleased to be back here as soon as possible.
Describe your experience working with Jean-Francois.
He really is an expert in the field of focused ultrasound and has been very helpful. He is always available whenever I need him. I have enjoyed his guidance during my internship, and he will be my PhD supervisor soon.