Tao Sun
Assistant Professor,
Bioengineering
Office
- 206C ISEC
Research Focus
Focused Ultrasound, Ultrasound Imaging, Neuroimaging, Drug Delivery, Immunomodulation and Immunoengineering, Gliomblastoma, Alzheimer’s Disease
About
Dr. Tao Sun is an Assistant Professor of Bioengineering and a core member of the Institute of Chemical Imaging of Living Systems (CILS) at Northeastern University. He joined Northeastern in January 2023 after completing postdoctoral training at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (Bioengineering), followed by an Instructor role at Harvard Medical School.
Dr. Sun has been widely recognized for his contributions to the fields of focused ultrasound, drug delivery, cancer immunoengineering, and neuroimaging. He has received prestigious awards such as the Young Investigator Award from the Focused Ultrasound Foundation (2022) and the Acoustical Society of America (2021). His multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research has been published in high-profile journals, including PNAS, Science Translational Medicine, Advanced Materials, Journal of Controlled Release, Applied Physics Letters, and Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews. His work has also been featured in prominent science and technology media outlets such as WIRED, Science Daily, and Medical Xpress.
Education
- Ph.D., Electrical Engineering, Tufts University
- M.S., Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University
- B.S., Acoustics, Nanjing University
Honors & Awards
- Young Investigator Award, Focused Ultrasound Foundation, 2022
- Young Investigator Award, Acoustical Society of America, 2021
Teaching Interests
BIOE 5235 – Biomedical Imaging
BIOE 5800 – Systems, Signals, and Controls for Bioengineers
Leadership Positions
- Associate Editor – Frontiers of Acoustics
Professional Affiliations
- Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) – Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control Society
- International Society for Therapeutic Ultrasound (ISTU)
- Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES)
- The Acoustical Society of America (ASA)
- American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT)
Research Overview
Focused Ultrasound, Ultrasound Imaging, Neuroimaging, Drug Delivery, Immunomodulation and Immunoengineering, Gliomblastoma, Alzheimer’s Disease
The Sun Ultrasound and Neuroengineering (SUN) Lab works at the intersection of focused ultrasound (FUS), neuroimaging and immunoengineering with expertise in developing ultrasound devices, imaging methods and engineered cell systems to modulate the neuro-immune interface and their applications in immunomodulation, drug delivery, and cell-based theranostic systems.
The goal of his research program is to unveil how FUS modulates the neuroimmune disease/aging environment and to develop ultrasound-based techniques for treating and monitoring neurological disorders, such as glioblastoma and Alzheimer’s disease, and beyond.
Department Research Areas
Selected Publications
- Sun T, Zhang Y, Power C, Alexander P, Sutton J, Aryal M, Vykhodtseva N, Miller E, McDannold N, “Closed-loop control of targeted ultrasound drug delivery across the blood-brain/tumor barriers in a rat glioma model,’’ PNAS, 114(48): E10281-E10290 (2017)
- Dasgupta A#, Sun T#, Palomba R, …, McDannold N, Mitragotri S, and Lammers T, “Nonspherical ultrasound microbubbles,” PNAS, 120(13): e2218847120 (2023) (# denotes equal contributions)
- Sun T#, Krishnan V#, Zhang Y, Power C, Kim J, Ravid S, Pan D, Aydin SA, Karp J, McDannold N, Mitragotri S, “Ultrasound‐mediated delivery of flexibility‐tunable polymer drug conjugates for treating glioblastoma,” Bioengineering & Translational Medicine, e10408, (2022) (# denotes equal contributions)
- Sun T, Shi Q, Zhang Y, Power C, Hoesch C, Antonelli S, Schroeder M, Caldarone B, Taudte N, Schenk M, Hettmann T, Schilling S, McDannold N, Lemere C, “Focused ultrasound with anti-pGlu3 Aβ enhances efficacy in Alzheimer’s disease-like mice via recruitment of peripheral immune cells,” Journal of Controlled Release, 336: 443-456 (2021)
- Sun T, Dasgupta A, Zhao Z, Nurunnabi M, Mitragotri S, “Physical triggering strategies for drug delivery,” Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews, 158: 36-62 (2020)
- Sun T, Sutton J, Power C, Zhang Y, Miller E, McDannold N, “Transcranial cavitation-mediated ultrasound therapy at sub-MHz frequency via temporal interference modulation,” Applied Physics Letters, 111(16): 163701 (2017)

Aug 09, 2023
Overcoming Barriers to Brain Drug Delivery With Focused Ultrasound
BioE Assistant Professor Tao Sun is exploring the use of ultrasound and tiny bubbles to deliver drugs to the brain more effectively, potentially aiding in treating conditions like Alzheimer’s and brain cancer. Results of his research were published in the journal PNAS.

Apr 05, 2023
Nonspherical Ultrasound Microbubbles
Bioengineering Assistant Professor Tao Sun recently published his postdoctoral research from John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and Brigham and Women’s Hospital on “Nonspherical Ultrasound Microbubbles,” in PNAS.

Dec 20, 2022
New Faculty Spotlight: Tao Sun
Tao Sun joins the Bioengineering department in January 2023 as an Assistant Professor.