Research

Research Experiences

Transcranial Ultrasound: Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB) & Neuromodulation, Jun 2017 – Mar 2024
U.S. Food and Drug Administration

• Developed
  • a Big Data Mining Program to manage Medical Device Reporting (MDR) for trend identification of medical devices
  • Established therapeutic ultrasound parameters that eliminated vascular rupture

NSF Innovation Corps (I-Corps^TM) Fellow, Award #1725033, Apr 2017 – Jun 2017
Tulane University, New Orleans, LA

Business Mentor and Co-PI: Drew Mouton, MBA
PI: Damir Khismantullin, PhD

• Entrepreneurial Lead
• Acoustic Tweezing Elastometry
• Defined value proposition and discovered target customer through stakeholder engagements.
• LeviSonics, Acoustic levitation technology, novel platform for real-time coagulation analysis
  • Blood coagulation analysis for pediatric critical care
  • Sample volume as much as 1/100th the size required by current technologies in the market

Graduate Researcher, Sep 2014 – Sep 2016
Tulane University, Dept of Biomedical Engineering, Bioinnovation PhD Program, New Orleans, LA

PIs: Damir Khismatullin, PhD
Co-PIs: Matt Myers, PhD & Greg Clement, PhD
Dissertation Committee: Ricardo Mostany, PhD; Adrian Mendez, MBA; Anne-Marie Job, PhD; Ricardo Cortez, PhD
PhD Rotations: Benjamin Lee, MD & Quincy Brown, PhD

• Determined high- & low-intensity focused & unfocused ultrasound parameters, and growth mechanisms, that induce neuron growth for spinal cord injuries with Damir Khismatullin, PhD, (PI).
  • Poster: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.25584648.v1
  • Mentored and trained two students to work on neurological ultrasound applications.
• Developed an in vivo mice model for spinal cord injury using 2-photon microscopy with Ricardo Mostany, PhD, (Mentor & PhD Committee Member).
• Developed module and extracted EEG data to monitor and assess stress and concentration levels during robotic surgery with Benjamin Lee, MD (PhD Rotation).
  • Mentored and trained two students to work on neurological ultrasound applications.
  • Publications
    • Accelerometer Measurement of Head Movement during Laparoscopic Surgery: Will it Help Optimize Ergonomics of Surgery?
    • Accelerometer Measurement of Head Movement During Laparoscopic Surgery as a Tool to Evaluate Skill Development of Surgeons
    • Electroencephalographic Monitoring of Brain Wave Activity During Laparoscopic Surgical Simulation to Measure Surgeon Concentration and Stress: Can the Student Become the Master?
• Optimized fast imaging technology in postoperative tumor margin assessment and built a Selective Plane Illumination Microscopy (SPIM) system with Quincy Brown, PhD (PhD Rotation).

Junior Research Specialist, Jun 2013 – Jun 2014
University of California, Santa Cruz Genome Sequencing Center, Santa Cruz, CA
PI: Nader Pourmand, PhD – UCSC Genome Sequencing Center

• Developed Ultrasonic DNA Fragmentation protocol for Next-Generation Sequencing Library Preparation for optimized output
• Optimized and automated all library preparation protocols with Liquid Handlers for Next Generation Sequencing.
• Increased reproducibility by 80% and improved time preparation by 120% utilizing automated Liquid Handlers.
• Publication
  • Pathway-based signature analysis of RNA-seq data to reveal new targetable avenues for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients (pts): Preliminary results from the SU2C/PCF/AACR West Coast Prostate Cancer Dream Team (WCDT)

Junior Development Engineer, Pediatric Devices, May 2011 – Oct 2011
University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
UCSF-Stanford Pediatric Device Consortium
PI: Shuvo Roy, PhD – Biodesign Laboratory

• Developed a wireless non-implantable FDA approved medical device, to correct the current surgical treatment for pectus carinatum, currently used in patients.
  • Poster: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.25596636.v1

Headset Researcher, Human Computer Interaction (HCI), Jan 2010 – May 2010
Plantronics, Santa Cruz, CA

• Designed and tested a new Bluetooth headset technology for the Department of HCI with testers.
• Collaborated with industry and academic researchers to understand human interaction with new technology.

Rehabilitative Robotics Researcher, Sep 2008 – May 2011
UC Santa Cruz Bionics Lab, Santa Cruz, CA
PI: Jacob Rosen, PhD & Levi Miller (Mentor)

• Senior Thesis: Developed a wireless electromyography amplifier for the user wearing the LEX to show the position of the user’s lower limb relative to the LEX.
• Minimized interacting forces between the user and the upper limb exoskeleton with a GUI for clinical trials.
• Optimized the gait cycle of the lower limb exoskeleton (LEX) through simulations with motion capture data.

Publications & Presentations

• Lopez, Asis (not presenter), Moorer, Celene, Brown-Baker, La’Nissa. FDA Fellowships, Internships and Early Career Opportunities. AISES Region 7 Conference. April 4th-5th, 2024, NASA Langley, Hampton, Virginia. 
  
• Lopez, Asis, Moorer, Celene, Brown-Baker, La’Nissa. From STEM to Community: Exploring the intersection of Regulatory Science Research, Public Health Communication, and Policy at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. SACNAS, Portland, Oregon. October 26 – 28, 2023.
  
• Preciado-Rivera, G., Gonzalez, M., & Lopez, A. Development of a Regulatory Science Tool using the R Statistical Software to Build an Interactive Dashboard that Visualizes Trends for Therapeutic Ultrasound Neuromodulation Applications. SACNAS, Portland, Oregon. October 26 – 28, 2023.
  
• Lopez, A., Osborn, J., Irwin, R., Khismatullin, D. B., Clement, G. T., & Myers, M. R. (2023). Vessel Rupture Thresholds for Vessel–Bubble Interactions Using an Earthworm Vasculature Model. Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology, 49(5), 1108-1117.
  
• A’Lyssa Williams, Gabriela Preciado-Rivera, Melody Gonzalez, Martha Villa, Jorge Alejandre, Sarayu Eadala, Gregory T. Clement & Asis Lopez. Database for Tissue Damage and Ultrasound Parameters for Neuromodulation Ultrasound Forecasting. ABRCMS, November 9 -12 2022, Anaheim, CA.
  
• Clement, G. T., Lopez, A., Wu, G., Ye, M. Sub-megahertz Cavitation Detection and Characterization in Mouse Brains. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. Vol. 152, Issue 4, 2022.
  
• Lopez, Asis, Y. Padilla, Ingrid, A. Santos Galindo, Abdiel, Fox, Keolu. Engineers and Computational Scientists Shaping the World of Tomorrow. SACNAS, San Juan Puerto Rico. October 27 – 29, 2022.
  
• Lopez, A., Mikkilineni, Y., Berman, S., Khismatullin, D., Clement, G. T., Myers, M. R. Earthworm, Lumbricus Terrestris: A Novel Microinjection Vasculature In vivo Invertebrate Model. J. Vis. Exp. (170), e62449, doi:10.3791/62449 (2021).
  
• Osborn J, Bender-Bier S, Lopez A, Suite L, Lam J, Sung K, Skoog S, Sarkar K, Myers MR, Clement GT. Investigation of ultrasound exposure in the presence of microbubbles on a LumeNEXT blood-brain barrier model. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. 2020 Oct;148(4):2800.
  
• Osborn, J., Bender-Bier, S., Lopez, A., Skoog, S., Sarkar, K., Myers, M. R., & Clement, G. T. Ultrasound in the presence of microbubbles in a dynamic in vitro microfluidic blood-brain barrier model. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 2020, 148(4), 2800-2800.
  
• Lopez A, Mikkilineni Y, Berman S, Khismatullin D, Clement GT, and Myers MR. “Microvessel Rupture Induced by High-Intensity Therapeutic Ultrasound Exposure in the Presence of Microbubbles Using a Novel Model, Lumbricus Terrestris, Earthworms.” 2020 Focused Ultrasound Foundation Virtual Symposium: Presentation.
  
• Kimberly Smith, Matthew R. Myers, Gregory T. Clement, Asis Lopez, Yeonho Kim, Vincent Ho, Joseph T. McCabe. Biomedical Manufacturing for Warfighter Treatment Needs – Blood-Brain Barrier Bioreactor for the In Vitro Study of Blast and Mechanical Injury. 2021 MHSRS; August 2021.
  
• Kimberly Smith, Matthew R. Myers, Gregory T. Clement, Asis Lopez, Yeonho Kim, Vincent Ho, Joseph T. McCabe. Leveraging Biotechnology to Improve Warfighter Readiness & Lethality – Blood-Brain Barrier Bioreactor for the In Vitro Study of Blast and Mechanical Injury. 2020 MHSRS; August 2020.
  
• Kimberly Smith, Matthew R. Myers, Gregory T. Clement, Asis Lopez, Yeonho Kim, Vincent Ho, Joseph T. McCabe. Blood-Brain Barrier Bioreactor for the In Vitro Study of Blast and Mechanical Injury. Presentation given at the USUHS Traumatic Brain Injury Research Consortium; August 27th, 2020; Virtual.
  
• Kimberly Smith, Joel Gaston, Matthew R. Myers, Gregory T. Clement, Asis Lopez, Yeonho Kim, Vincent Ho, Joseph T. McCabe. Bioprinted3D in vitro co-cultures of the blood-brain barrier for testing the effects of blast-related overpressure. Poster Presented at USUHS Neuroscience Symposium; December 2019; Bethesda, MD.
  
• Liu Y, Abboud M, Lopez A, Connors B, and Maruvada S. “Egg White-Based Ultrasound Blood Mimicking Phantom.” ASA 177^th Meeting. Louisville, Kentucky. May 13 – 17, 2019. Presentation.
  
• Kim Y, Nabili M, Acharya P, Lopez A, Meyers MR. “Microvessel rupture induced by high-intensity therapeutic ultrasound—a study of parameter sensitivity in a simple in vivo model.” Journal of Therapeutic Ultrasound. 2017;5:5. DOI:10.1186/s40349-017-0082-2.
  
• Viriyasiripong, Sarayuth; Lopez, Asis; Lai, Weil R.; Mitchell, Gregory C.; Mandava, Sree Harsha; Boonjindasup, Aaron; Powers, Mary K.; Silberstein, Jonathan L., and Lee, Benjamin R. “Accelerometer Measurement of Head Movement during Laparoscopic Surgery: Will it Help Optimize Ergonomics of Surgery?” Journal of Urology 195(4):e220. 2016 March. DOI: 10.1016/j.juro.2016.02.2786
  
• Viriyasiripong, Sarayuth; Lopez, Asis; Mandava, Sree Harsha; Lai, Weil R.; Mitchell, Gregory C.; Boonjindasup, Aaron; Powers, Mary K.; Silberstein, Jonathan L., and Lee, Benjamin R. “Accelerometer Measurement of head Movement During Laparoscopic Surgery as a Tool to Evaluate Skill Development of Surgeons”. Journal of Surgical Education. 2016 Feb 25. DOI:10.1016/j.jsurg.2016.01.008
  
• Maddox, Michael M.; Lopez, Asis; Mandava, Sree Harsha; Boonjindasup, Aaron; Viriyasiripong, Sarayuth; Silberstein, Jonathan L., and Lee, Benjamin R. “EEG Monitoring of Brainwave Activity During Laparoscopic Surgical Simulation to Measure Surgeon Concentration and Stress: Can the Student Become the Master?” Journal of Endourology. 2015 Dec 29. DOI:10.1089/end.2015.0239
  
• Lopez, Asis; Sivakumar, Ashwin; Mostany, Ricardo; Moore, Michael; Khismatullin, Damir, “Ultrasound-Enhanced Molecular Therapy for Axon Nuerogenesis”. Presentations:
  • SACNAS National Conference. San Antonio, TX. October 11-13, 2018.
  • Acoustical Society of America (ASA) 174^th Meeting. New Orleans, LA. December 4-8, 2017.
  • Biophysical Society (BPS) 61^st Meeting. New Orleans, LA. February 11-15, 2017.
  • Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) 48^thMeeting. Minneapolis, MN. October 5-8, 2016.
    
• Bivol, A et al. “Pathway-based signature analysis of RNA-seq data to reveal new targetable avenues for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients (pts): Preliminary results from the SU2C/PCF/AACR West Coast Prostate Cancer Dream Team (WCDT).” Journal of Clinical Oncology 32(15_suppl): 11078-11078. 2014 May 20. DOI: 10.1200/jco.2014.32.15_suppl.11078
  
• Lopez, Asis; Liu, Jonathan; Etemadi, Mozziyar; Shuvo, Roy, “Wireless Data Logger for Children with Pectus Carinatum”. Presentations:
  • SACNAS National Conference. San Jose, CA. October 27-30, 2011.
  • UC San Francisco Summer Research Training Program. San Francisco, CA. August 2-3, 2011.
    
• Lopez, Asis; Rosen, Jacob, “Wireless Electromyography Amplifier for the Lower Limb Exoskeleton”. Thesis Presentation:
  • UC Santa Cruz Research Symposium. Santa Cruz, CA. June 3, 2011.
    
• Lopez, Asis; Rosen, Jacob, “Simulation of Human Gait Cycle Embedded in a Lower Limb Exoskeleton for Load Augmentation”. Presentation:
  • SACNAS National Conference. Irvine, CA. September 16-19, 2010.
    
• Lopez, Asis; Miller, Levi; Rosen, Jacob, “Graphical User Interface for Admittance Controllers on an Upper Limb Exoskeleton”. Presentations:
  • CAMP Statewide Symposium. UC Irvine. Irvine, CA. February 26-28, 2010.
  • SACNAS National Conference. Dallas, TX. October 15-18, 2009.