Professor
maverk@uw.edu
Phone: (206) 616-9558
Lab: Ben Hall 372
Office: N530Q
Phone: (206) 616-9558

Mike Averkiou

My lab is inventing the future of medicine by developing imaging and therapy ultrasound methods and technology to address medical problems in oncology and cardiology.

Research Interests

Ultrasound-mediated, image-guided drug delivery
Ultrasound imaging and ultrasound contrast agents
Tumor angiogenesis imaging and quantification
Liver cancer diagnosis with contrast-enhanced ultrasound
Bubble-enhanced heating with high intensity focused ultrasound
Nonlinear propagation of ultrasound in tissues
Bubble dynamics, bubble response to ultrasound, cavitation

Research Description

My lab’s research central theme is ultrasound and microbubbles and their applications for imaging and therapy. We develop ultrasound imaging techniques to image and quantify blood flow in the microcirculation. These techniques are based on the nonlinear oscillations of microbubbles that result from exposure to ultrasound. We can detect and characterize tumors based on their microvascular patterns while we also develop quantitative techniques to monitor the outcomes of therapies targeting angiogenesis. Clinical applications include liver, breast, kidney and prostate cancer.
Microbubbles are also used in the area of atherosclerosis. With signal and image processing approaches we are trying to establish plaque neovascularization as an atherosclerosis imaging biomarker.
Another area of research is ultrasound-mediated drug delivery. Drugs may be selectively delivered in spatially controlled areas under image-guidance with either temperature or pressure stimuli generated by ultrasound. The interaction of ultrasound and microbubbles in-vivo is utilized in a process called sonoporation which is the transient and reversible cell membrane permeability change. We study the physical mechanisms of sonoporation and the interactions of ultrasound-driven microbubbles with the capillaries and the cells in order to improve drug uptake.
Our research activities span from in-vitro experiments in tissue phantoms to clinical trials with patients. One unique research tool of the Averkiou lab is the ex-vivo machine perfused (MP) pig liver phantom. MP functions as an artificial body with a wholly- or partially-artificial blood supply to sustain an isolated organ (typically from slaughterhouse animals) ex-vivo. MP presents a very promising platform for quantification of blood flow in the microcirculation which is a key element in cancer therapy monitoring. MP is also a test bed for therapeutic applications of ultrasound, such as ultrasound mediated drug delivery, and thermal ablation.

Education

PhD Mechanical Engineering The University of Texas at Austin, 1994
MS Mechanical Engineering The University of Texas at Austin, 1989
BS Mechanical Engineering The University of Texas at Austin, 1987

Postdoc Information

Postdoctoral Fellow, Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington, 1994-1995

Awards and Honors

Faculty Appreciation for Career Education & Training (FACET, UW) Award, 2019
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Senior Member, since 2011
Acoustical Society of America, Fellow, since October 2009
European Commission, Marie Curie Chair of Excellence, 2006-2009
Philips Medical Systems, Engineering Excellence Award, 1997, 1999, 2000
ATL Ultrasound, Technical Fellow Award, for developing Tissue Harmonic Imaging, 1998

UW Bioengineering Courses Taught

BIOEN 447/547: Fundamentals of Magnetic Resonance and Ultrasound Imaging
BIOEN 448/548: Bioacoustics and Therapeutic Ultrasound
BIOEN 449/549: Therapeutic and Diagnostic Ultrasound
BIOEN 449/549: Ultrasound Imaging
BIOEN 532: Bioengineering Professional Series III: Professional Skills Development

Selected Publications

Krolak C, Dighe M, Clark A, Shumaker M, Yeung R, Barr RG, Kono Y, Averkiou M. Quantification of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Vascular Dynamics With Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound for LI-RADS Implementation. Invest Radiol. 2023 Sep 19. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37725492.
Juang EK, De Koninck LH, Vuong KS, Gnanaskandan A, Hsiao CT, Averkiou MA. Controlled Hyperthermia With High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound and Ultrasound Contrast Agent Microbubbles in Porcine Liver. Ultrasound Med Biol. 2023 Aug;49(8):1852-1860. Epub 2023 May 26. PMID: 37246049; PMCID: PMC10330369.
Lai TY, Averkiou MA. Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound with Optimized Aperture Patterns and Bubble Segmentation Based on Echo Phase. Ultrasound Med Biol. 2023 Jan;49(1):186-202.
Keller SB, Averkiou MA. The Role of Ultrasound in Modulating Interstitial Fluid Pressure in Solid Tumors for Improved Drug Delivery. Bioconjug Chem. 2022 Jun 15;33(6):1049-1056. doi: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.1c00422. Epub 2021 Sep 12. PMID: 34514776.
Lai TY, Averkiou MA. Linear Signal Cancellation of Nonlinear Pulsing Schemes in a Verasonics Research Scanner. IEEE Trans Ultrason Ferroelectr Freq Control. 2021 May;68(5):1721-1728.
Averkiou MA, Juang EK, Gallagher MK, Cuevas MA, Wilson SR, Barr RG, Carson PL. Evaluation of the Reproducibility of Bolus Transit Quantification With Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound Across Multiple Scanners and Analysis Software Packages-A Quantitative Imaging Biomarker Alliance Study. Invest Radiol. 2020 Oct;55(10):643-656.
Keller SB, Suo D, Wang YN, Kenerson H, Yeung RS, Averkiou MA. Image-Guided Treatment of Primary Liver Cancer in Mice Leads to Vascular Disruption and Increased Drug Penetration. Front Pharmacol. 2020 Sep 30;11:584344.
Averkiou MA, Bruce MF, Powers JE, Sheeran PS, Burns PN. “Imaging Methods for Ultrasound Contrast Agents,” Ultrasound Med Biol. 2020 Mar;46(3):498-517.
Juang EK, De Cock I, Keravnou C, Gallagher MK, Keller SB, Zheng Y, Averkiou M. Engineered 3D microvascular networks for the study of ultrasound-microbubble-mediated drug delivery. Langmuir. 2019 Aug 6;35(31):10128-10138.
Keravnou C, De Cock I, Lentaker I, Izamis ML, Averkiou MA. Microvascular injury and perfusion changes induced by ultrasound and microbubbles in a machine-perfused pig liver. Ultrasound Med Biol. 2016 Nov;42(11):2676-2686.
Christophides D, Leen EL, Averkiou MA. Improvement of the accuracy of liver lesion DCEUS quantification with the use of automatic respiratory gating. Eur Radiol, 2016 Feb;26(2):417-24.
Izamis ML, Efstathiades A, Keravnou C, Leen EL, Averkiou MA. Dynamic contrast-enhanced ultrasound of slaughterhouse porcine livers in machine perfusion. Ultrasound Med Biol. 2014 Sep;40(9):2217-30.
Christophides D, Leen E, Averkiou MA. “Automatic Respiratory Gating for Contrast Ultrasound Evaluation of Liver Lesions.” IEEE Trans Ultrason Ferroelectr Freq Control. 2014 Jan; 61(1): 25-32. (front cover image)
Mannaris C, Averkiou MA. Investigation of microbubble response to long pulses used in ultrasound-enhanced drug delivery. Ultrasound Med Biol. 2012 Apr;38(4):681-91.
Leen E, Averkiou M, Arditi M, Burns P, Bokor D, Gauthier T, Kono Y, Lucidarme O. Dynamic contrast enhanced ultrasound assessment of the vascular effects of novel therapeutics in early stage trials. Eur Radiol. 2012 Jul;22(7):1442-50.
Strouthos C, Lampaskis M, Sboros V, McNeilly A, Averkiou M. Indicator dilution models for the quantification of microvascular blood flow with bolus administration of ultrasound contrast agents. IEEE Trans Ultrason Ferroelectr Freq Control. 2010 Jun;57(6):1296-310.
Averkiou M, Lampaskis M, Kyriakopoulou K, Skarlos D, Klouvas G, Strouthos C, Leen E. Quantification of tumor microvascularity with respiratory gated contrast enhanced ultrasound for monitoring therapy. Ultrasound Med Biol. 2010 Jan;36(1):68-77.