Focused Ultrasound in Neuroscience Program

The Focused Ultrasound in Neuroscience Program is an interdisciplinary program bringing together a diverse group of UCSF clinicians and scientists to harness the power of ultrasound to improve our understanding of brain function and pioneer new treatments for brain disorders including movement disorders, brain tumors, and mental illness.

Dr. Leo Sugrue conducting physiological test with patient during essential tumor treatment.

Clinical Programs

High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) for treatment of Essential Tremor and tremor dominant Parkinson’s disease.

We use advanced brain imaging to identify key white matter tracts in planning our HIFU treatments for essential tremor. Blue and green identify the target tracts whose dysregulation is thought to be responsible for essential tremor.

Drawings by a patient with essential tremor immediately before and after HIFU treatment. Brain image shows the lesion created by the procedure (red arrow) at the site of the target tracts on the planning imaging.

Clinical Trials and Translational Research

• Focused ultrasound for neuromodulation and treatment of neuropsychiatric disease
• Focused ultrasound for treatment of brain tumors
• Focused Ultrasound Lab

Focused Ultrasound in Neuroscience Team

• Kazim Narsinh, MD, Director of Neuro-oncology
• Eugene Ozhinsky, PhD, Bioengineer
• Kisoo Kim, PhD, Postdoctoral Scholar

Nursing Staff

• Daphne Penaflor
• Cheryl Blanco
• Dustin Buhrman
• Kimberly Okamato

MR Technologists

• May Cabacungan
• Elda Nefat

Clinical Research Manager

• Maya Aslam

Brain Focused Ultrasound Co-Directors

Leo Sugrue, MD, PhD Neuroradiologist

Doris Wang, MD, PhD Neurosurgeon