• Principle Investigator

    Mike Averkiou Professor of Bioengineering

    Mike Averkiou develops new ultrasound imaging and therapy technology for cancer and heart disease. Using advanced nonlinear imaging techniques and microbubble contrast agents, he develops ways to image the microcirculation in order to detect the earliest stages of tumor angiogenesis and atherosclerosis, and closely monitor their treatment. He also uses the unique properties of ultrasound and microbubbles to improve the delivery of drugs into cancer cells. He focuses on transferring innovations from preclinical research into clinical use. Mike earned his undergraduate, master’s and Ph.D. degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. Previously he worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the UW Applied Physics Laboratory, at Philips Medical Systems, and most recently at the University of Cyprus, where he was an associate professor and director of the Biomedical Ultrasound Laboratory.

    Curriculum Vitae

    • Email: maverk@uw.edu
    • Phone: (206) 616-9558
    • Office: Foege N530Q
  • Graduate Students

    Connor Krolak PhD Candidate

    Connor joined the Bioengineering PhD program at UW and Averkiou lab in 2020. He graduated from Vanderbilt University, with BE degrees in both Biomedical Engineering and Electrical Engineering. His current work is focused on quantification of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) vascular dynamics and ultrasound-mediated drug delivery and therapy. Other than research, Connor enjoys cooking, running, writing and playing music, and most importantly - eating!

    Linkedin Profile

    • Email: krolakc@uw.edu

    Lance De Koninck PhD Candidate

    Lance graduated from Virginia Tech in 2020 with a BS degree in Engineering Science and Mechanics as well as minors in Physics and Mathematics. He then joined the bioengineering PhD program at the University of Washington that same year. Since joining the Averkiou lab, Lance has been studying microbubble-enhanced high intensity focused ultrasound for thermal ablation in our unique machine perfused porcine liver model. He is also investigating bubble dynamics, and predicting the nonlinear response when exposed to various acoustic settings. Outside of the lab, Lance can be found biking and/or driving around the Pacific Northwest, or running around the park with his dog.

    Linkedin Profile

    • Email:lancedek@uw.edu

    Sherry Gu MAB Student

    Sherry is a student in the Master of Applied Bioengineering program, and came to UW after graduating with a BSc in Neuroscience from the University of Alberta. She is interested in ultrasound-mediated drug delivery for cancer and its potential applications for treatment in low-resource settings. Her master's project also focuses on developing a low-cost, quantitative method to assess the functionality of ultrasound transducers. On days that she isn't doing school work, she enjoys volunteering at animal rescues, rewatching her favourite shows, and eating noodles.

    Linkedin Profile

    • Email: shgu@uw.edu

    Gerald Lee Rotating PhD Candidate

    Gerald is a first year Bioengineering Ph.D. student at UW Seattle, with interests in ultrasound-applied modalities and medical imaging. He graduated from UC Irvine, with a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering and a specialization in Biophotonics. His work during his rotation includes animal handling, cell culture work, supporting many projects throughout the lab. Gerald spends his spare time playing and making music on acoustic guitar and piano, playing video/board/card games, or attempting to recreate his mother's cooking.

    Linkedin Profile

    • Email: gerald13@uw.edu
  • Current Research Scientists

    Kaleb Vuong Research Scientist

    Kaleb was a student in the class of 2022 at the University of Washington majoring in Bioengineering and completed his master's degree at the University of Washington in Bioengineering through the BS/MS program in 2023 with the Averkiou Lab. Currently, he is learning about High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU), which is currently used for thermal tissue ablation and targeted drug delivery. He is researching the effects that different materials have on HIFU heating outcomes. In addition to research, he is part of the UW Bioengineers without Borders' (BWB) Capnography team where he works with a group of undergraduates to develop a portable, low-cost capnograph for use in low resource hospital settings. In his free time, he enjoys baking, gardening, and volunteering at animal shelters.

    Curriculum Vitae

    • Email:kalebv@uw.edu
  • Current Undergraduate Research Assistants

    Angela Wei

    Angela is a junior undergraduate student at UW working towards a double degree in Bioengineering and Math. She is interested in imaging methods, computational analysis, and modeling. She plans to pursue a career in translational research. Outside of academics, she plays violin for the UW Campus Philharmonia Orchestra (CPO), loves to knit mathematical objects, read gothic classics and sci-fi, and figure skate.

    Linkedin Profile

    • Email: awei9@uw.edu

    Harry Shin

    Harry is a junior undergraduate student at University of Washington, majoring in Bioengineering. He is interested in ultrasound contrast agents and ultrasound-mediated drug delivery. He plans to pursue a Master’s degree in the related medical field. In his spare time, he enjoys going to gym, playing soccer, cooking, and playing the guitar.

    Linkedin Profile

    • Email: seong200@uw.edu

    Kai Schroeder

    Kai is a senior bioengineering student at UW that is excited to learn more about ultrasound applications in the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinomas, considering ultrasound as an accessible and safe method of imaging the body. In terms of future plans, Kai is interested in going into medical device development and ultrasound engineering, and hopes to acquire relevant skills while at the lab. Outside the lab, Kai enjoys playing Dungeons and Dragons, reading comic books, and sewing plushies.

    Linkedin Profile

    • Email: kayaschr@uw.edu

    Hanna Michaelis

    Hanna is a junior pursuing a degree in bioengineering and a minor in Applied Mathematics. She is interested in cancer therapeutics and drug delivery systems related to ultrasound. She plans to pursue a career that helps expand medical accessibility into developing countries. Outside of research and school, Hanna loves to spend time outside rock climbing, hiking with her dog, and kite surfing. She also loves to read, knit, and play board games with friends.

    Linkedin Profile

    • Email: hrm02@uw.edu

    Chelsea Hu

    Chelsea is a sophomore at the University of Washington in the Interdisciplinary Honors Program studying Bioengineering. She is interested in the cancer therapy applications of ultrasound as well as the imaging and computational analysis components. She plans on pursuing a career in biomedical research or the medical field. In addition to research, Chelsea also likes to run, bake/try out new recipes, read, go to concerts and spend time with friends and family, including her dog Ginger.

    Linkedin Profile

    • Email: chelse11@uw.edu

    Sophia Dahl

    Sophia is a freshman undergraduate student at the University of Washington pursuing a degree in Bioengineering. She is interested in cancer therapeutics and ultrasound-mediated drug delivery, and plans to pursue a career in medical research. Outside of school and research, you’ll find her running, camping, backpacking, reading, playing the piano, or spending time with her family.

    Linkedin Profile

    • Email: sdahl27@uw.edu
  • Other Research Assistants

    Max Siauw

    Max is a senior high school student at Lakeside School. He is currently applying computer science to the quantitative analysis of hepatocellular carcinoma ultrasound data. Overall, he is fascinated by the intersection between health and technology and thus hopes to pursue a career in either medicine or biotechnology. Whenever he's free, he can be found speed-cubing, taking photos on his trusty DSLR, or watching crime dramas on Netflix with his two brothers.

    Linkedin Profile

  • Lab Alumni

    Former Postdoctoral Fellows

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    Former PhD Students & Research Scientists

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    Former Students & Research Assistants

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    Maria Alejandra Cuevas

    Jordan Vogel