Zeta Surgical, a surgical robotics and mixed reality company, has appointed Dr. James Choi from Imperial College London as Focused Ultrasound Lead. Dr. Choi will head the development of an ultrasound device to be used alongside Zeta Surgical's neurosurgical navigation technology to facilitate drug delivery to the brain.
Dr. Choi is an Associate Professor and the Founding Director of the Noninvasive Surgery and Biopsy Laboratory at Imperial College London. A recognized leader in the field, he is the recipient of the prestigious Frederic Lizzi Award and the Frederick V. Hunt Fellowship in Acoustics. His research focuses on the development of ultrasound technologies that noninvasively and locally alter blood-brain barrier permeability. Dr. Choi completed his doctorate at Columbia University and his post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Oxford.
"I am excited to join the Zeta Surgical team, whose vision is so aligned with my work. For decades, neurological diseases have had the least progress in treatments – there are many powerful drugs available, but they cannot cross the blood-brain barrier. An ultrasound device paired with Zeta Surgical's navigation technology will make drug delivery to the brain seamless, treating the many patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease and brain cancers," says Dr. Choi.
"We believe that our navigation and robotics platform has the potential to make focused ultrasound and other non-invasive therapies safer, more effective, and more accessible, and we are thrilled to be partnering with Dr. Choi in this mission," says Jose Amich, Co-Founder and CEO of Zeta Surgical.
"We are excited by the potential for a focused ultrasound solution, guided by Zeta's precision navigation, to greatly improve CNS drug delivery and increase the efficacy of drugs for conditions such as brain cancer and Alzheimer's disease," says Matt Fates, Partner at Innospark Ventures and Zeta Surgical board member.
Source: Zeta Surgical
