Background:

Since I am a mathematical physicist working in a neurological surgery department it is appropriate that I briefly review how I got here. My thesis work was in the Applied Mathematics Department at the University of Washington on a mathematical model of atmospheric turbulence.

I then went to work for the Applied Physics Laboratory to do research on acoustics with a variety of flavors. In the last six years I’ve concentrated on medical acoustics with an emphasis on acoustic hemostasis, and on atmospheric sciences.

In the last two years I have (finally!) been able to concentrate on my primary research interest, namely using bioengineering principles, particularly diagnostic and therapeutic ultrasound, to make scientific and therapeutic advances in neurosurgery.

Research Highlights:

1. Opening the blood-brain barrier with ultrasound for enhanced drug delivery

2. Accelerating recovery after injury to the peripheral nervous system with ultrasound

3. Drug delivery via an implantable, drug-carrying device that is activated with ultrasound

4. Gene therapy, and induction of necrosis and apoptosis with ultrasound

5. Use of acoustic contrast agents to improve CNS imagery and ultrasound treatment

6. Brain tumor modeling in vivo

7. Differential diagnosis of sources of pain

8. Noninvasive means of monitoring intracranial pressure

9. Numerical simulations of high intensity focused ultrasound

10. In vitro studies of cell behavior on micropatterned surfaces

Research Methods:

• Diagnostic ultrasound machine, for imaging internal structures of the body
  
  
• Ultrasound calibration systems, for determining how much power ultrasound devices produce
  
  
• A variety of therapeutic ultrasound applicators, for a variety of purposes
  
  
• Oscilloscopes, function generators, amplifiers, for managing the therapeutic ultrasound devices.

Laboratory Members and Collaborators:

• Present Lab Members:
  
  • Undergraduates: Ryan Ollos, Elizabeth Dahl, Lisa Nguyen, Brett Anderson, Billy Little, Sara Vaezy
    
  • Graduates: Greg Cooksey
    
  • Residents: Andy Nemecek, M.D., Ali Mesiwala, M.D., Dan Lazar, M.D.
    
    
• Past lab members:
  
  • Undergraduates: Josh Nickerson, Stephane Chung, Lorne Walker
    
  • Graduates: Sandy Poliachik, Ph.D., Franco Curra, Ph.D., Tyrone Porter, Ph.D., Connie Kwok, Ph.D.
    
  • Residents: Gerry Grant, M.D., (part time); Paul Santiago, M.D., (part time)
    
    
• Present collaborators:
  
  • Neurosurgery: Dan Silbergeld, M.D., Michel Kliot, M.D., Rick Morrison, Ph.D., David Newell, M.D., Gavin Britz, M.D., M.P.H., Mike Bobola, Ph.D., Rich Ellenbogen, M.D., John Loeser, M.D.
    
  • Bioengineering: Buddy Ratner, Ph.D., Viola Vogel, Ph.D.
    
  • Applied Physics Laboratory: Larry Crum, Ph.D., Shahram Vaezy, Ph.D., Andy Brayman, Ph.D., Steve Kargl, Ph.D., Bob Odom, Ph.D., Lee Thompson, Ph.D., Darrell Jackson, Ph.D., Chris Jones, Ph.D., Ralph Foster, Ph.D.
  • Radiology: Jerry Jarvik, M.D., M.P.H.
    
    
• Past collaborators:
  
  • Neurosurgery: Marc Mayberg, M.D.
    
  • Bioengineering: Pat Stayton, Ph.D., Allan Hoffman, Ph.D.

Bibliography:

Neurological Surgery and relevant Bioengineering

1. Mesiwala, A. H. , L. Farrell, H. J. Wenzel, L. A. Crum, D. L. Silbergeld, H. R. Winn, and P. D. Mourad. (2002) High Intensity Focused Ultrasound Selectively Disrupts the Blood-Brain Barrier in vivo. Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology. 28(1) 389-400.
   
   
2. Kwok, C. S., P. D. Mourad, L. A. Crum, B. D. Ratner (2001) Self-assembled Molecular Structures as Ultrasonically-responsive Barrier Membranes for Pulsatile Drug Delivery. J. Biomed. Mat. Res.57(2) 151-164.
   
   
3. Mourad, P. D., N. Murthy, T. Porter, S. L. Poliachik, L. A. Crum, and A. S. Hoffman and P. S. Stayton, Ultrasound and Poly(2-ethylacrylic) acid act synergistically to permeabilize lipid bilayers (2001) Macromolecules. 34, 2400-2401.
   
   
4. D. A. Lazar, F. P. Curra, B. C. Mohr, L. D. McNutt, M. Kliot and P. D. Mourad. Acceleration of recovery after injury to the peripheral nervous system via ultrasound and other therapeutic modalities. In: Mayberg, M. R. and H. R. Winn – consulting editors (2001) Neurosurgery Clinics of North America, “Peripheral nerve issues: Controversies in Peripheral Nerve Surgery,” M. Kliot – guest editor. V12(2), pp. 353-358.
   
   
5. Mourad, P. D., D. Lazar, F. P. Curra, A. M. Avellino, B. C. Mohr, L. D. McNutt, K. C. Andrus, L. A. Crum, M. Kliot (2001) Ultrasound accelerates functional recovery after peripheral nerve damage. Neurosurgery. 48(5), 1136-1141.
   
   
6. Chang, P. P., W.-S. Chen, P. D. Mourad, S. L. Poliachik and L. A. Crum (2001) Thresholds for inertial cavitation in Albunex suspensions under pulsed ultrasound conditions. IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control 48(1), 161-170.
   
   
7. Curra, F. P., P. D. Mourad, V. A. Khokhlova, R. O. Cleveland and L. A. Crum (2000) Numerical simulations of heating patterns and tissue temperature response due to high intensity focused ultrasound fields. IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control, 47(4), 1077-1088.
   
   
8. Kwok, C. S., P. D. Mourad, L. A. Crum, and B. D. Ratner (2000), Surface modification of polymers with self-assembled molecular structures: multitechnique surface characterization. Biomacromolecules, 1(1), 139-148.
   
   
9. Mourad, P. D. (1999) Biological effects of ultrasound. In: Webster, J. L. (editor), “Encyclopedia of Electronics and Electrical Engineering,” John Wiley & Sons (Philadelphia), V2, pp. 368-386.