Prof. Tali Ilovitsh
Bioengineering
Research work
Prof. Tali Ilovitsh is the Chair of the School of Biomedical Engineering at Tel Aviv University and the Director of the Medical Ultrasound Laboratory. Her research focuses on transforming ultrasound from a diagnostic imaging modality into a programmable platform for noninvasive therapy, drug delivery, and tissue engineering.
Her laboratory develops innovative ultrasound technologies that harness the mechanical effects of acoustically activated microbubbles, nanobubbles, and phase-change droplets to modulate biological tissues and biomaterials. By pioneering low-frequency ultrasound strategies, her group has demonstrated enhanced blood-brain barrier opening, targeted delivery of drugs and nucleic acids, noninvasive tumor mechanotherapy, and improved responses to cancer immunotherapy.
A growing direction of the laboratory focuses on ultrasound-responsive biomaterials for regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. By incorporating acoustically activatable, drug-loaded microdroplets into hydrogels, the group is developing strategies for noninvasive, spatially controlled modification of scaffold architecture, mechanical properties, and therapeutic release. These technologies aim to enable programmable tissue scaffolds that support tissue regeneration while providing localized drug delivery and antibacterial functionality.
Prof. Ilovitsh has published over 50 peer-reviewed journal articles and recieved competitive research funding, including an ERC Starting Grant. Her contributions have been recognized through several awards, including the Juludan Prize, the ACS Bioconjugate Chemistry Early Career Innovator Award, and the ISTU Rising Star Award. She is also an elected member of the IEEE Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control Society Administrative Committee.
Areas of interest & scientific knowledge
Bioengineering
- Biomaterials
Medical Ultrasound Technologies
- Gene Delivery Methods
- Noninvasive Surgery
