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.

Yushun (Sean) Zeng (Member, IEEE) received a B.Eng. degree in Bioengineering from Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, China, in 2019, and an M.S. degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA, in 2021. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. degree with the Department of Biomedical Engineering, at the University of Southern California. His research interests mainly focus on high-frequency ultrasound transducers/arrays, 3-D-printed ultrasonic devices, and acoustic tweezers.

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.

Lily Xia is a junior studying Human Biology at USC. She is on the pre-medical track with interests in the fields of endocrinology and gastroenterology. Lily hopes to study and learn more about metabolic conditions, because of their intimate connection to the process of aging and therefore quality of life. She is currently working as an undergraduate research assistant at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. She is also a student ambassador for the nonprofit, EverythingALS. Outside of school, she volunteers for the LAC USC Medical Center, Crisis Textline, and tutors USC student athletes.

Steven Wang is currently an undergraduate student majoring in Computer Science at the Viterbi School of Engineering at the University of Southern California. His research interests mainly focus on machine learning-based image analysis of low-frequency and high-frequency transducers.