Team

Robert Wodnicki received the B.Eng. and M.Eng. degrees in electrical engineering from McGill University, Montreal, in 1992 and 1996, respectively, and the PhD degree in biomedical engineering from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles in 2020. The subject of his dissertation was “Highly integrated 2D ultrasonic arrays and electronics for modular large apertures” under Prof. Qifa Zhou. From 1995 to 2014, he was employed as an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) Designer for GE Global Research, Niskayuna, NY, USA. In 2018 he received the Best Student Paper Award at the International Ultrasonics Symposium in Kobe, Japan, for his paper on ASICs and modular acoustic arrays. He is currently employed as a senior research associate in the department of Ophthalmology, at USC Keck in Los Angeles. His research is focused on the implementation of 2-D ultrasound systems using highly integrated ASIC electronics interfaced to single-crystal transducer arrays.

Baoqiang Liu earned his Ph.D. from the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences. Prior to his doctoral studies, he worked for four years as an ultrasound hardware engineer at SonoScape Medical Corp. During his Ph.D., he led the development of ultra-high-frequency array ultrasound, intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), and intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) technologies, accumulating nearly a decade of combined experience in both research and industry. He is particularly skilled in the design of ultrasound electronic systems and has a systematic understanding of the design strategies for IVUS, ICE, and wearable ultrasound products. Currently, he is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Ultrasonic Transducer Resource Center at the University of Southern California (USC), where his research focuses on high-frequency ultrasound imaging systems and transducers, large-aperture array ultrasound imaging, and wearable ultrasound imaging technologies.

Adnan joined the Ph.D. program in 2020 at USC. He received his B.S. degree in biomedical engineering from King Abdulaziz University in 2014 and an M.S. degree in biomedical engineering from the University of Southern California in 2020. His research focuses on using High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound for different applications such as deep vein thrombosis and cancer cell ablation as well as characterizing tissue stiffness using Ultrasound Elastography. As part of UTRC, Adnan has experience in fabricating single low and high-frequency transducers for both therapeutic and diagnostic applications.

As a dedicated PhD student specializing in Ultrasound Applications, I am passionately engaged in exploring the innovative possibilities this technology offers in various fields. My research endeavors are closely aligned with practical applications in healthcare, particularly in collaboration with USC Hospital for comprehensive human studies. Through my academic journey, I aim to contribute significantly to advancing ultrasound technology, focusing on enhancing diagnostic accuracy, treatment efficacy, and patient care outcomes. This introduction encapsulates my commitment to leveraging cutting-edge research to address critical challenges and propel the frontier of ultrasound applications in healthcare.

Jie Ji received bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from SUNY Stony Brook University in 2020 and is currently a PhD student in biomedical engineering at the University of Southern California. He is now focusing on clinical research in ultrasound instrumentation and medical electronics.

Matthew Ren received his B.S. degree in biology from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, in November 2023. Subsequently, he joined Dr. Zhou’s biomedical engineering lab at the University of Southern California in 2024 as a Ph.D student. He is currently focusing on fabricating high- and low-frequency ultrasonic transducers.

Fan’s work focuses on developing imaging-guided ultrasound stimulation platforms for mechanobiology studies and immunotherapy.