Q&A with Dr. Zhimin Huang: Engineering a Noninvasive, Targeted Approach to Treating Brain Diseases
June 9, 2025PhRMA Foundation awardee Zhimin Huang, PhD, of the University of Pittsburgh, has developed a new technology that uses focused ultrasound to activate drugs in the specific parts of the brain.
Brain disorders like depression and Parkinson’s disease arise from dysfunction in specific brain areas, but getting medicines to those exact targets is challenging. The blood-brain barrier protects the brain from harmful substances, while also hindering drug delivery. Current drugs often affect both diseased and non-diseased brain areas, leading to adverse side effects.
Zhimin Huang, PhD, an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh, received a PhRMA Foundation 2025 Faculty Starter Grant in Drug Delivery for his research to create a noninvasive, targeted approach for treating brain diseases with fewer side effects.
Huang has developed a new technology that uses focused ultrasound to activate drugs in the specific parts of the brain. Unlike traditional therapies, this method facilitates prolonged, localized drug action even with an intact blood-brain barrier.
Watch this video to learn more about Huang and his research.
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