Administrative Assistant: Donna-Marie Pow
Phone: 416-480-6100, ext. 5765
Email: donna-marie.pow@sri.utoronto.ca

Education:

• B.Sc., 1976, Physics, University of Kuopio, Finland
• M.Sc., 1977, Physics, University of Kuopio, Finland
• PhD, 1982, Biomedical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University of Aberdeen, UK

Appointments and Affiliations:

• Senior scientist, imaging (director) - Odette cancer research program, Sunnybrook Research Institute
• Professor, department of medical biophysics, University of Toronto
• Canada Research Chair in Imaging Systems and Image-Guided Therapy, Tier 1

Research Foci:

• Focused ultrasound for noninvasive surgery
• Vascular surgery
• Targeted drug delivery and gene therapy
• Ultrasound imaging and monitoring
• MRI thermometry

Research Summary:

Dr. Hynynen's research has focused on investigating the effects of ultrasound beams on tissue and their utilization in therapy. He is investigating the use of focused ultrasound for noninvasive surgery, vascular surgery, targeted drug delivery and gene therapy. He has developed theoretical models to help understand the treatment parameters and to allow optimization of the treatment devices. In vivo experiments have been used to investigate the various biological end points that can be induced by controlling the sonication parameters.

Ultrasound transducer research has been utilized to design and develop new phased array applicators and better ways to deliver the therapy. The ability of magnetic resonance imaging to detect and quantify the ultrasound exposures in vivo noninvasively has been investigated and developed. Several clinical systems have been developed and clinically tested. Dr. Hynynen is currently exploring new ways to utilize ultrasound for imaging with the aim of possibly using the methods for controlling the therapy delivery and aid in tumour diagnosis.

Selected Publications:

See current publications list at PubMed.

Related News and Stories:

• A Centre is Born: Canada Foundation for Innovation invests $74.6 in Centre for Research in Image-Guided Therapeutics (August 20, 2008)
• $23 Million Awarded for Health Research (February 7, 2008)
• The Penny Drops: Sunnybrook Research Institute scientists give Canadian Cancer Society leaders a glimpse of where the money goes (April 4, 2007)
• Translation in Collaboration - Sunnybrook plans a novel breast cancer treatment: A feature from Research Report 2004-2006
• Getting Results - Success is a method in Kullervo Hynynen's lab: A feature from Research Report 2004-2006
• Sound Focus - Ultrasound redefines surgery and drug-therapy limits: A feature from Research Report 2004-2006
• Imaging Success: Sunnybrook Drives ImNO Symposium to New Heights: Scientists, students and industry gather at increasingly popular annual event (May 18, 2006)
• Sunnybrook Lures Distinguished Harvard Physicist: Ultrasound pioneer will head renowned team of imaging scientists (May 11, 2006)

Related Links:

• U of T profile - department of medical biophysics
• Focused Ultrasound Lab