Pioneering the use of focused ultrasound
The Controlled Release Society has elected University of Virginia School of Engineering faculty member Richard J. Price to its College of Fellows. According to the Society, elevation to fellow recognizes an exceptional individual in the field of controlled release who has made outstanding and sustained contributions to the field of delivery science and technology.
Price, a professor in the department of biomedical engineering, made the seminal observation that interactions between contrast agent microbubbles and ultrasound can open endothelial barriers and facilitate targeted nanoparticle delivery. Working with Dr. Justin Hanes at Johns Hopkins University, Price is using this approach to deliver brain-penetrating nanoparticles across the blood-brain barrier to treat brain tumors and Parkinson’s disease. He is also studying how focused ultrasound can synergize with immunotherapies, with his research supporting the first ever clinical trials combining focused ultrasound with immunotherapeutic checkpoint inhibitors for treating breast cancer and other solid malignancies.
