People
Updated: Nov. 11, 2024
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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.
- Email: maverk@uw.edu
- Phone: (206) 616-9558
- Office: Foege N530Q
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Graduate Students & Fellows
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, bird watching, writing and playing music, and most importantly - eating!
- 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.
- Email:lancedek@uw.edu
Ryan Avery Master's Student
Ryan graduated from Georgia Tech with a BS in Mechanical Engineering in 2019. After working for several years in the satellite antenna industry, he decided to shift his career in a more clinical direction and began searching for the intersection of medicine and mechanics. Ryan is interested in ultrasound, medical devices, and anything else where his mechanical background can result in better patient outcomes.
- Email:ryanpa@uw.edu
Gautam Babu Research Fellow
Gautam graduated from Dartmouth in 2016 with BA degrees in Astronomy and Biochemistry. He then completed medical school at UT Southwestern in 2020 and Internal Medicine residency at Vanderbilt in 2023. He is currently a Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellow at the University of Washington. His research interests include space medicine, pulmonary hypertension, medical devices, and cardiopulmonary physiology. His current work within the Averkiou lab is focused on the use of the subharmonic signal generated by ultrasound contrast agents to non-invasively estimate cardiac and vascular pressures. His hobbies include playing and watching basketball, international travel, exploring national parks, reading science fiction, eating Japanese food.
- Email:gbabu@uw.edu
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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.
- Email:kalebv@uw.edu
Sherry Gu Research Scientist
Sherry recently graduated 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.
- Email: shgu@uw.edu
Jenifer Mendez Pacheco Research Scientist
Jenifer is a two-time UW graduate, having received her BS in Bioengineering in 2023 and Master of Applied Bioengineering, along with Technology Entrepreneurship Certificate (TEC) in 2024. She is highly interested in medical devices and medical imaging, especially diagnostic and therapeutic ultrasound. In her free time, she enjoys drawing, reading, and spending time with friends and family.
- Email: jenimp01@uw.edu
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Current Undergraduate Research Assistants
Angela Wei
Angela is a senior 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.
- Email: awei9@uw.edu
Harry Shin
Harry is a senior 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.
- Email: seong200@uw.edu
Hanna Michaelis
Hanna is a senior 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.
- Email: hrm02@uw.edu
Chelsea Hu
Chelsea is a junior 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.
- Email: chelse11@uw.edu
Sophia Dahl
Sophia is a sophomore 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.
- Email: sdahl27@uw.edu
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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
