Talk Title: Low Intensity Focused Ultrasound to the Amygdala in Depression & Anxiety
In his talk, Dr. Philip will describe data from his first-in-human study of low intensity focused ultrasound in patients with depression and anxiety. In doing so, he will introduce this technology and purported mechanisms of action, and then outcomes related to safety and target engagement across multiple levels of analyses.
Bio: Dr. Philip is a Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the Alpert Medical School of Brown University. His clinical and laboratory work is at VA Providence, where he serves as Associate Director & Lead for Mental Health Research, at the Center for Neurorestoration and Neurotechnology.
Dr. Philip received his BSc from McGill University, and his MD from Albany Medical College where he graduated Alpha Omega Alpha & a Distinction in the Study of Biomedical Ethics. He completed his psychiatry residency training at Brown, followed by two fellowships in neuroimaging and neuromodulation.
Dr. Philip’s career goal is to design, develop, and deploy neuromodulation treatments for PTSD, depression and suicide reduction. His work has been funded for the last fifteen years and featured in top-tier journals. He is active in several psychiatric research societies, and is passionate about training and mentoring.
Relevant Peer-Reviewed Articles
Philip NS, Arulpragasam AR. Reaching for the unreachable: low intensity focused ultrasound for non-invasive deep brain stimulation. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2023 Jan;48(1):251-252. doi: 10.1038/s41386-022-01386-2. PMID: 35869281; PMCID: PMC9700833.
Arulpragasam AR, Theyel B, Barredo J, Pouille F, Gillotti JG, Greenberg BD, Wout-Frank MV’, Philip NS. Low Intensity Focused Ultrasound Neuromodulation in Psychiatric Disorders: Mechanisms, Models, and Missing Links. Biol Psychiatry. 2026 Mar 6:S0006-3223(26)00097-1. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2026.02.019. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41796716; PMCID: PMC13000543.