February 28, 2005: TORONTO, CANADA: VisualSonics is pleased to announce the addition of Drs. Jonathan Lindner and Bob Kerbel to their Scientific Advisory Board (SAB).
“The addition of Dr. Lindner and Dr. Kerbel to our Scientific Advisory Board will compliment our current Scientific Board expertise and will assist in continuing to expand the utility of our Vevo 770™ high-resolution imaging system for preclinical molecular imaging”, says Tom Little, CEO of VisualSonics. ”Dr. Lindner is a leading researcher in the field of targeted contrast agents and molecular imaging using ultrasound. Dr. Kerbel is a leading authority in the study of angiogenesis and the understanding of anti-angiogeneic therapeutics. The combination of these two experts will allow us to further extend the utility of the Vevo as a tool for understanding the molecular nature of disease in the preclinical setting”.
“Having a tool such as the VisualSonics Vevo to help understand angiogeneic events in preclinical models is important both in terms of understanding disease progression and therapeutic effectives”, says Dr. Kerbel. “The learning, protocols and modality can then be applied from mouse to man to help us expedite drug discovery from the preclinical to the clinical realm - - which is the desired result of our efforts in animal research”. According to Dr. Lindner, there is a growing interest in the clinical and the preclinical realm for leveraging the benefits of contrast agents and molecular imaging to better detect and treat specific cardiovascular and cancer-based diseases. “Combining the molecular information and targeting ability of contrast agents with the widespread availability of ultrasound bodes well for molecular-based Ultrasonography. The increased resolution now possible with the VisualSonics system will help to further understand and develop these tools and techniques in a preclinical setting and hopefully accelerate their adoption in the clinical realm”.
Dr. Robert S. Kerbel is a Senior scientist of Molecular and Cell Biology at Sunnybrook and Women’s College Hospital, a Professor, Lab Medicine & Pathobiology, University of Toronto, a Professor (Adjunct) of Cancer Biology at MD Anderson Cancer Center, and a Professor, Medical Biophysics at the University of Toronto. Dr. Kerbel’s Laboratory is at the forefront of a promising new treatment paradigm for the treatment of cancer: antiangiogenic therapy. In addition to his research and academic postings, Dr. Kerbel is also on the Scientific Advisory Boards of York Medical (YM) Biosciences (Toronto), Lorus Therapeutics (Toronto), Oxigene (Boston), Compound Therapeutics (Waltham, Mass.), Attenuon LLC (San Diego) and a consultant to ImClone Systems, Inc. (New York), Wyeth-Ayerst, USA (Pearl River, New York), and Taiho Pharmaceuticals (Japan).
Dr. Jonathan R. Lindner is Associate Professor of Medicine and Associate Chief for Research, Cardiovascular Division at the University of Virginia. His research focuses on the use of contrast-enhanced ultrasound perfusion imaging to study microvascular function in health and disease states such as coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, diabetes mellitus, and peripheral vascular disease. Another focus is the development of site-targeted contrast-enhanced ultrasound that may permit the detection and evaluation of inflammation, angiogenesis, tumors, etc. using either non-specific interactions between microbubbles and biologic tissues or microbubbles with specific ligands conjugated to their surface.
Drs. Jonathan Lindner and Bob Kerbel join the current members of the VisualSonics Scientific Advisory Board which include:
- Dr. S. Lee Adamson, Ph.D. Director, CMHD Mouse Physiology Lab, Senior Scientist, Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Professor, Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Toronto, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON
- Dr. F. Stuart Foster, Professor and Associate Chair, Ph.D., Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Chief Technical Officer and Chairman, VisualSonics
- Dr. Sanjiv Sam Gambhir Director, Stanford School of Medicine Program in Molecular Imaging Professor of Radiology and Head of the Division of Nuclear Medicine, Stanford University
- Dr. Daniel H Turnbull, Associate Professor of Radiology and Pathology, Director, Mouse Imaging Facility, Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine and NYU Cancer Institute, New York University School of Medicine
About VisualSonics
VisualSonics Inc. (www.visualsonics.com) is the leading manufacturer of high-resolution in vivo imaging systems for small animal research. VisualSonics’ Vevo 770™ high-resolution imaging system provides real-time visualization and measurement of anatomical and hemodynamic function in small animals down to 30 microns. Because of the non-invasive nature of the technology, longitudinal studies of the same animal can be performed. This high-resolution imaging technology is being successfully applied to phenotypic-based research applications such as developmental biology, cardiovascular research, cancer biology, neurobiology and preclinical drug discovery.
VisualSonics Contact:
Tom Little
President and CEO
VisualSonics Inc.
Toronto, Canada
Tel. 416.484.5010
Email tlittle@visualsonics.com