Superparamagnetic FeOx Nanosuspension as an Acoustic Coupling Medium for Magnetic Resonance-Guided Focused Ultrasound Therapy

About the Event

Neurological disorders such as essential tremor and Parkinson's disease can be treated with a noninvasive technique called focused ultrasound (FUS). When combined with MRI, FUS enables real-time visualization of transcranial tissues; this technique is known as transcranial MR-guided focused ultrasound (tMRgFUS). Superparamagnetic FeOx nanoparticles, when colloidally suspended in water, can significantly reduce signal loss caused by the acoustic coupling medium and enhance image contrast. This study investigates how FeOx nanoparticle core size and ligand-shell thickness affect the nanoparticles' magnetic properties. The findings may support the clinical translation of FeOx nanoparticles as MRI contrast agents for tMRgFUS.

About the Speaker

Ali Sayyah is a Ph.D. student in Chemical Engineering at Virginia Tech. His research focuses on the colloidal stabilization of FeOx nanoparticles and their application in focused ultrasound therapy. In this talk, he will discuss how FeOx core size and ligand-shell thickness, measured by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS), affect the magnetic properties of FeOx nanoparticles.