Emerging ultrasound approaches to noninvasively modulate the nervous system and end-organs for treating multiple health disorders

2nd May 2024

Timing : 1 pm EST

Please use this zoom link for joining the webinar

For a list of all talks at the NanoBio seminar Series Spring'24, see here


Over the past decade, there has been immense excitement and research discoveries in using non-invasive ultrasound for modulating the nervous system and end-organs for potentially treating a broad range of health disorders. Several of these approaches are already being evaluated in human patients with encouraging outcomes. The major advantage of ultrasound is that it is possible to target specific regions in the brain or body without requiring invasive surgery or device implantation; other techniques leveraging magnetic or electrical stimulation also do not require surgery but have not been able to achieve localized activation to the extent possible with ultrasound stimulation. In my talk, I will provide an overview of the challenges and opportunities for using ultrasound to activate or modulate the nervous system. In particular, recent findings reveal that ultrasound can modulate or inhibit neurons and nerves but cannot readily excite neural circuits. My talk will also cover the emerging opportunities for using ultrasound to modulate end-organs, such as the spleen and liver, for potentially treating major health disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, and acute infections. Furthermore, there has been recent developments in scalable, portable, and low-cost solutions for non-invasive ultrasound devices that can be used in an accessible way for treating various health disorders, offering new clinical solutions that can potentially have less risks than drugs and implants.



Snow
Dr. Hubert H. Lim
Professor in Biomedical Engineering and Otolaryngology
Endowed Lions Professorship in Otolaryngology
Bakken Professorship for Engineering in Medicine
Director, Earl E. Bakken Medical Devices Center
Co-Director, Center for Neural Engineering
Institute for Translational Neuroscience Scholar
University of Minnesota–Twin Cities, U.S.A.

Hubert Lim is a Professor in the Biomedical Engineering and Otolaryngology Departments at the University of Minnesota and was hired as an Institute for Translational Neuroscience Scholar. He is also the Endowed Lions Professor in Otolaryngology, Director of the Earl E. Bakken Medical Devices Center and Co-Director for the Center for Neural Engineering. He completed a B.S.E. in Bioengineering at UC-San Diego, followed by a dual Masters in Biomedical Engineering and Electrical Engineering & Computer Science and then a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Michigan. At the University of Minnesota, his lab’s research focuses on neural engineering, neuromodulation technologies, sensory neuroscience, neural plasticity, neuro-immune physiology, and integrative health approaches with the aim of developing new stimulation treatments for hearing disorders, pain, and inflammatory conditions in collaboration with multiple clinicians and companies. Dr. Lim has been awarded the Peter and Patricia Gruber International Research Award in Neuroscience from the Society for Neuroscience, the Institute for Engineering in Medicine Faculty Career Development Award, and the Institute for Engineering in Medicine Outstanding Service Award. Outside his academic activities, he is currently involved with two start-up companies, serving as the Chief Scientific Officer of Neuromod Devices (developing a tinnitus treatment device) and as the Chief Scientific Officer of SecondWave Systems (developing a wearable phased-array ultrasound device for various health conditions).