Key Points
- Dr. Chen’s laboratory at Washington University in St. Louis now has 18 team members.
- Learn about her current projects, her biggest achievement, and what’s next.
Hong Chen, PhD, is a professor of Biomedical Engineering and Neurosurgery at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri (WashU). She started the Chen Ultrasound Laboratory in 2015, and it has grown it to include 18 team members dedicated to exploring focused ultrasound’s effects on the brain.
Dr. Chen recently received the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director’s Pioneer Award, which is only given to eight researchers in the country annually. The more than $5.4 million grant is used to promote high-risk, high-reward research to address major challenges in biomedical, social science, and behavioral research.
We recently spoke with Dr. Chen about her current projects, why she considers her students her biggest achievement, and what’s next for her laboratory.
What is your area of interest in focused ultrasound?
Developing innovative technologies to improve care for patients with brain diseases is my goal. My passion for studying the brain led me to pursue a postdoctoral research fellowship with Elisa Konofagou, PhD, at Columbia University in brain drug delivery using focused ultrasound. After starting my own lab, I have been working on integrating my training in ultrasound with my passion for neuroscience to advance the field of “neurosonics.” I coined that term to describe our mission—translating discoveries in neuroscience into health solutions through ultrasound.
What mechanisms are you currently studying?
My lab is studying how force – either mechanical or thermal – generated by focused ultrasound can interact with the brain, from the molecular to the cellular to the whole-organ and systems levels. At the molecular level, we’re exploring ultrasound-sensitive ion channels and how they can be used for remote control of cellular activity—what we call sonogenetics. This involves genetically engineering cells to activate these channels so we can noninvasively modulate their function. At the cellular level, we’re investigating sonobiopsy – or how ultrasound-generated mechanical forces can modulate blood-brain barrier permeability to improve brain disease diagnosis. At the whole brain level, we’re exploring how ultrasound can manipulate fluid dynamics in the brain, particularly interstitial and cerebrospinal fluid flow. These flows are essential for nutrient delivery and waste clearance, and we are examining how ultrasound can enhance these processes to support brain health. Overall, our goal is to translate discoveries in brain mechanics into technologies that benefit patients.
What are your funding sources?
About 90% of our funding comes from the NIH, but we are also funded by the National Science Foundation and the Focused Ultrasound Foundation.
You recently received the prestigious NIH Director’s Pioneer Award. What are your plans for that funding?
This research project builds on our 2023 findings that ultrasound stimulation of the hypothalamus can lower body temperature and metabolic rate in mice. The hypothalamus is critical for regulating functions like body temperature and food intake. We aim to further investigate the underlying mechanisms and explore whether this approach can be scaled from mice to non-human primates. It’s a concept that stretches the imagination, so we’re unofficially calling it “Mission Mars,” as artificial human hibernation could potentially be translated into space travel. It’s very early, though.
Tell us about the people in your laboratory.
We currently have 18 people in our lab: four staff members, three postdoctoral students, ten graduate students, and me. It is an amazing group.
Who are your collaborators?
Just within WashU, I work with more than 20 faculty members across 12 departments. I feel happy and lucky to have strong support from my institute and community. I am surrounded by people who encourage and push me forward every day.
What is your biggest accomplishment?
It is the success of my students. Over the years, they’ve received a total of 36 major awards from international organizations, conferences, and the university—and this doesn’t even include smaller departmental recognitions. My students have been honored at nearly every major ultrasound-related conference, including from the Focused Ultrasound Foundation. My student, Dezhuang Ye, received the Young Investigator Award and the Bracco Women in Science Award at the 8th International Symposium on Focused Ultrasound 2022 and the inaugural Postdoctoral Fellowships in Focused Ultrasound provided by the Focused Ultrasound Foundation. She is now an Associate Professor at Nanjing University, China. My students have also won competitive PhD thesis awards from our department almost every year. I take more pride in their achievements than in any awards I’ve personally received. In fact, I often joke that instead of introducing me by listing my own accolades, people should just mention my students’ awards—they could fill the whole time before my talk even begins. Their success is the true measure of my impact.
Why is mentorship important to you?
I have a personal policy of never saying no to any student-organized events that I’m invited to. Just last week, I attended both a major conference and a student retreat at Vanderbilt University, where I gave a talk that ended up inspiring several students to reach out afterward. Moments like that remind me that I’m not just doing science—I’m helping support and encourage young scientists, and that makes me incredibly happy.
Tell us about your teaching experience.
I teach both undergraduate and graduate students about ultrasound imaging and focused ultrasound. One of my favorite classes includes a module on commercialization, where every student team has to come up with a pitch for an ultrasound company. I believe education isn’t just about sharing knowledge—it’s about inspiring students to think bigger, like how to turn their ideas into real technologies that reach patients. We need more scientists who are excited about the business side, too, so we can actually get these tools out into the world. And my students are creative—every year they come up with ideas I never would have imagined, which makes teaching fun and energizing.
You’ve also been involved in the Foundation’s Women in Focused Ultrasound initiative. Can you share your experience as a female in a male-dominated field?
I’ve often found myself as the only female in the room, even now when meeting with collaborators. At first, as a new assistant professor, I tried to stay quiet and blend in. But after about two years of struggling with that mindset, I had a turning point. I realized that it wasn’t helping me, my work, or my team. I made a conscious effort to speak up and lead when I knew it was necessary. Once I did that, I found people listened and respected my ideas. Now, I share my story openly, hoping it inspires others to be authentic, take up space, and lead confidently in their own way.
What is on your research wish list?
I want to understand how ultrasound affects every part of the brain—not just neurons or the blood-brain barrier, but all the different cell types and fluids within it. Right now, we’re only scratching the surface. Once we get that big-picture view, I believe we can drive new discoveries in basic neuroscience that will lead to innovative technologies and transformative medical applications.
How has the Foundation impacted your work?
The Foundation has provided funding support to my postdoc and my lab. This support was instrumental in helping my postdoc transition to an independent investigator. The funding also enabled my lab to pursue high-risk, high-reward research projects. Furthermore, it is crucial knowing there is a group of people out there who are just as passionate about making focused ultrasound accessible to patients as I am—I don’t feel like I’m alone in this journey. The Foundation also helps amplify our work by connecting us with key people and the broader field. Without it, I don’t think the field would be growing nearly as fast or making the impact it does today. For me, the Foundation represents a constant source of inspiration and shared mission.