Terry Matsunaga, PhD

Professor, Medical Imaging and Biomedical Engineering

Terry Matsunaga, PhD, PharmD joined the Department of Medical Imaging in 2007 after 16 years in the private sector where he was a primary developer of lipid-coated microbubbles that have been approved by the FDA and sold under the brand name Definity®. In addition, Dr. Matsunaga focused his attention upon the use of ultrasound-mediated bubble cavitation for dispersing of clots (Sonothrombolysis™). Currently, his efforts focus upon targeted microbubbles for cancer imaging as well as drug and gene delivery. His most recent efforts revolve around phase-change contrast agents for tumor detection and extravascular applications. Dr. Matsunaga received his AB degree in Biochemistry from the University of California at Berkeley, followed by a Pharm.D in Clinical Pharmacy at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF). Following a year of clinical training as a resident at the University of Michigan, he returned to UCSF where he received his Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Chemistry under the mentorship of George L. Kenyon. From 1986 - 1992, he was a NIDA post-doctoral fellow in the laboratory of Professor Victor J. Hruby. Since 2010, he has chaired the Steering Committee for the NHLBI SMARTT (Science Moving Towards Research Translation and Therapy) Program.

Dr. Matsunaga was recently named Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. 

Research Interests: 

Ultrasound, microbubbles, contrast agents.

Degrees
  • PhD: University of California at San Francisco, 1987
  • Other: Pharm D: University of California at San Francisco - San Francisco, 1980
Honors and Awards
  • Fellow, National Academy of Inventors, 2021
Residency
  • University of Michigan (1981): Clinical Pharmacy Residency
Fellowship
  • University of Arizona Dept. of Chemistry, NIDA post-doctoral fellowship, 1988-1990
  • University of Arizona Dept. of Chemistry, Post doctoral Scholar, 1987-1988/1990-1992

Select Publications

2023

Alcaraz, P. Enrique, S. J. Davidson, E. Shreeve, R. Meuschke, M. Romanowski, R. S. Witte, T. R. Porter, and T. O. Matsunaga, "Thermal and Acoustic Stabilization Of Volatile Phase-Change Contrast Agents Via Layer-By-Layer Assembly.", Ultrasound Med Biol, vol. 49, issue 5, pp. 1058-1069, 2023 May. PMCID: PMC10050125  PMID: 36797095
Amjad, M. Wahab, S. Anwar Mohammed, M. Fazzari, X. Chen, B. Freeman, T. Matsunaga, and J. J. Pacella, "Cardioprotective efficacy of ultrasound-targeted nitrofatty acid microbubbles in rat myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury model", J. Acoust. Soc. Am, vol. 153, A102, 03/2023.

2022

Zeng, P., C. Chen, J. Lof, E. Stolze, S. Li, X. Chen, J. Pacella, F. S. Villanueva, T. Matsunaga, C. E Everbach, et al., "Acoustic Detection of Retained Perfluoropropane Droplets Within the Developing Myocardial Infarct Zone.", Ultrasound Med Biol, 2022 Aug 29.

2021

Zeng, P., L. Qian, J. Lof MS, E. Stolze, S. El Kadi, T. Bargar, J. Sklenar, and T. Matsunaga, "Delayed Echo Enhancement Imaging to Quantify Myocardial Infarct Size", Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography, vol. 34, issue 8, 2021.
Zeng, P., L. Qian, J. Lof, E. Stolze, S. El Kadi, T. Bargar, J. Sklenar, T. Matsunaga, F. Xie, and T. R. Porter, "Delayed Echo Enhancement Imaging to Quantify Myocardial Infarct Size.", J Am Soc Echocardiogr, vol. 34, issue 8, pp. 898-909, 2021 Aug. PMCID: PMC8349868  PMID: 33711458

2020

Valdez, M. A., E. Fernandez, T. Matsunaga, R. P. Erickson, and T. P. Trouard, "Distribution and Diffusion of Macromolecule Delivery to the Brain via Focused Ultrasound using Magnetic Resonance and Multispectral Fluorescence Imaging.", Ultrasound Med Biol, vol. 46, issue 1, pp. 122-136, 2020 Jan. PMCID: PMC6937597  PMID: 31585767

2018

Weinkauf, C. C., K. Concha-Moore, J. R. Lindner, E. R. Marinelli, K. P. Hadinger, S. Bhattacharjee, S. S. Berman, K. Goshima, L. R. Leon, T. O. Matsunaga, et al., "Endothelial vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 is a marker for high-risk carotid plaques and target for ultrasound molecular imaging.", J Vasc Surg, vol. 68, issue 6S, pp. 105S-113S, 2018 12. PMCID: PMC6089675  PMID: 29452833
Cromey, B., A. McDaniel, T. Matsunaga, J. Vagner, K. Quoc Kieu, and B. Banerjee, "Pancreatic cancer cell detection by targeted lipid microbubbles and multiphoton imaging.", J Biomed Opt, vol. 23, issue 4, pp. 1-8, 2018 04.
Hadinger, K. P., J. P. Marshalek, P. S. Sheeran, P. A. Dayton, and T. O. Matsunaga, "Optimization of Phase-Change Contrast Agents for Targeting MDA-MB-231 Breast Cancer Cells.", Ultrasound Med Biol, vol. 44, issue 12, pp. 2728-2738, 2018 Dec. PMCID: PMC6215505  PMID: 30228045
Cromey, B., A. McDaniel, T. Matsunaga, J. Vagner, K. Kieu, and B. Banjeree, Pancreatic Cancer Cell Detection by Targeted Lipid Microbubbles and Multiphoton Imaging, 2018.

2017

Lin, S., A. Shah, J. Hernández-Gil, A. Stanziola, B. I. Harriss, T. O. Matsunaga, N. Long, J. Bamber, and M-X. Tang, "Optically and acoustically triggerable sub-micron phase-change contrast agents for enhanced photoacoustic and ultrasound imaging.", Photoacoustics, vol. 6, pp. 26-36, 2017 Jun. PMCID: PMC5423321  PMID: 28507898

2016

Harpel, K., R. Dawson Baker, B. Amirsolaimani, S. Mehravar, J. Vagner, T. O. Matsunaga, B. Banerjee, and K. Kieu, "Imaging of targeted lipid microbubbles to detect cancer cells using third harmonic generation microscopy.", Biomed Opt Express, vol. 7, issue 7, pp. 2849-60, 2016 Jul 01. PMCID: PMC4948635 
Marshalek, J. P., P. S. Sheeran, P. Ingram, P. A. Dayton, R. S. Witte, and T. O. Matsunaga, "Intracellular delivery and ultrasonic activation of folate receptor-targeted phase-change contrast agents in breast cancer cells in vitro.", J Control Release, vol. 243, pp. 69-77, 2016 Dec 10. PMCID: PMC5191940  PMID: 27686582

2015

Li, S., S. Lin, Y. Cheng, T. O. Matsunaga, R. J. Eckersley, and M-X. Tang, "Quantifying activation of perfluorocarbon-based phase-change contrast agents using simultaneous acoustic and optical observation.", Ultrasound Med Biol, vol. 41, issue 5, pp. 1422-31, 2015 May. PMID: 25656747

2011

Sheeran, P. S., S. Luois, P. A. Dayton, and T. O. Matsunaga, "Formulation and acoustic studies of a new phase-shift agent for diagnostic and therapeutic ultrasound.", Langmuir, vol. 27, issue 17, pp. 10412-20, 2011 Sep 06. PMCID: PMC3164903  PMID: 21744860

2002

Unger, E. C., T. Onichi Matsunaga, T. McCreery, P. Schumann, R. Sweitzer, and R. Quigley, "Therapeutic applications of microbubbles.", Eur J Radiol, vol. 42, issue 2, pp. 160-8, 2002 May.