Greek scientist Elisa Konofagou, PhD, a renowned professor and researcher at Columbia University, is a pioneer in the development of ultrasound methods focused on the diagnosing and treatment of serious diseases.
Konofagou is currently in Greece and spoke to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (AMNA) about her work, the ongoing search for new ways to fight and treat diseases, and her personal motto: perseverance.
She explains that the path to research is full of obstacles—from securing funding and forming a qualified interdisciplinary team to selecting a project that truly works. “Many things in science are imagined one way and executed another. So it takes a combination of luck, perseverance, and knowledge,” she says. The philosophy she instills in her students is simple: never give up.
“For scientists, rejection is more common than acceptance,” she admits. “Research itself means that no one believes anything initially, and you must prove, from the start, why you conducted an experiment, how many times, what you discovered, and when. Yet, when you create something genuinely innovative, you must believe in yourself. Essentially, this is the only way to innovate. And this is something no one can ever take away from you.”
Ultrasound-based for non-invasive treatment
Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Radiology, and Neurological Sciences, Konofagou, designs and develops ultrasound-based technologies with her research team. Their work uses sound waves for drug delivery, disease imaging, and the non-invasive treatment of cancers and neurological disorders.
Reflecting on her career, she emphasizes the exciting and unpredictable nature of research. “Many times, you don’t get what you want—it’s not what you imagined—but sometimes discoveries exceed your expectations. Those moments are what keep me moving forward.”
One such breakthrough came when her team detected extremely small displacements of the myocardial wall with ultrasound as an early sign of a heart attack. They also observed, for the first time, the electromechanical wave of the heart with precision a thousand times greater than standard ultrasound resolution, opening new avenues for understanding and diagnosing arrhythmias.
The therapeutic value of Greek scientist’s vision of ultrasound treatment
Another revolutionary chapter in Konofagou’s work is opening the blood-brain barrier with ultrasound. This natural protection of the brain normally prevents the entry of bacteria, viruses, and even drugs. By temporarily opening it—with the aid of intravenously administered microbubbles—the goal is to deliver therapeutic drugs directly into the brain to treat tumors and neurodegenerative diseases.
In a recent study conducted with Columbia Medical School associate professor and pediatric oncologist Stergios Zacharoulis, published in Science Translational Medicine, this technique was applied to three children with difficult-to-treat brain tumors (Diffuse Pontine Gliomas), two of whom experienced significant clinical improvement.
Konofagou’s research also revealed an unexpected benefit: ultrasound activates the brain’s immune system. By opening the blood-brain barrier, immune cells—microglia and macrophages—enter the brain from the bloodstream to help clear harmful substances. In fact, after opening the barrier, researchers observed a reduction in pathological proteins associated with Alzheimer’s—β-amyloid and tau—even without administering drugs.
The question of whether this could improve memory remains open. As Konofagou notes, the next clinical study will explore the effects of repeated blood-brain barrier openings in larger areas of the brains of Alzheimer’s patients.
Ultrasound therapy for breast tumors
The application of focused therapeutic ultrasound to breast tumors has also shown promising results. In benign tumors, ultrasound can cauterize tissue, and early research on malignant tumors indicates that this cauterization activates the patient’s immune response, helping to reduce metastases.
Inspired by her brain research, Konofagou is conducting a study to open tumor blood vessels in breast cancer, allowing drugs to penetrate more effectively. She also uses focused ultrasound to measure tumor stiffness or elasticity, serving as a biomarker for the body’s response to treatment from the first week of chemotherapy. In a clinical study of twenty patients, this method predicted treatment effectiveness with nearly 96 percent accuracy after three months.
After years of research and testing, the Greek scientist is eager to bring her findings to patients: “Ultrasound therapy at a clinical level is my dream,” she says.
Two decades dedicated to research on ultrasound treatment by Greek scientist Konofagou
A member of the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of Inventors in the United States, Konofagou has dedicated more than two decades to research on focused ultrasound. In 2024, she received the Visionary Award from the American Focused Ultrasound Foundation for her contributions to the field. In March 2025, the same foundation recognized her work by declaring Columbia University a Center of Excellence for Focused Ultrasound.
Regarding her dream of applying ultrasound techniques at a clinical level, she says: “I think it will happen, but I don’t know how long it will take.” She notes that therapeutic ultrasound has been known for over a century—longer than diagnostic ultrasound—and has already achieved significant success in treating conditions such as kidney stones (lithotripsy), uterine fibroids, prostate cancer, and essential tremor.
For Konofagou, the next challenge is: “Instead of taking the patient to the machine, we want to bring the machine to the patient.” To this end, her team has developed a portable focused ultrasound device, designed to bring this technology directly to patients, making it more accessible without the need for large, expensive equipment.
“Lab to Market”
Konofagou is currently in Greece for the “Lab to Market” program, organized by Columbia University, the Columbia Global Center in Athens, and the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA). The program aims to help research ideas reach the market and brings together Columbia professors as mentors, members of the Endeavor Greece network, and the Hellenic Institute of Advanced Studies (HIAS)—a non-profit founded by Greek scientists in the diaspora. Konofagou serves on the board of directors.
Having founded a company producing innovative ultrasound machines ten years ago, Konofagou is eager to share her experience with the young researchers participating in “Lab to Market.”
“I have seen from the inside what it is like to build a company, talk to investors, and, as an engineer, explain ideas clearly so that others understand the vision in your head—and ultimately to present an idea someone will want to invest in,” she explains. She emphasizes that interdisciplinary collaboration is central to her research path: “I want to bring this spirit of collaboration to NTUA.”
Her participation in the program is also deeply personal. Born and raised in Athens and a graduate of the Varvakeio School, she says, “Having lived and worked abroad for many years, I feel the need to help—to support Greece and Greek minds. When you live abroad for so long, you want to do something for your homeland, too.”
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