Research Interests:
The Caskey lab focuses on diagnostic and therapeutic applications of ultrasound with an emphasis on image-guided therapy and drug delivery. Toward this goal, we use micron-sized encapsulated bubbles (microbubbles) to target diseased vasculature and develop algorithms to specifically image these bubbles with ultrasound. Under the right ultrasound conditions, these microbubble contrast agents can also locally enhance vascular permeability, allowing them to act as therapeutic agents as well. Ultrasound can also be used to noninvasively apply heat for focal ablation or activation of temperature-sensitive drugs, and we have an ongoing project where we are performing ultrasonic heating under MR-guidance.