RIA research scientist Alfred Yu is developing the next generation of ultrasound technology. His innovative work has earned him the 2021 E.W.R. Steacie Memorial Fellowship for highly promising researchers from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). Yu is one of six nation-wide winners. 

Yu, Professor in Engineering at the University of Waterloo and active researcher in the RIA’s Vascular Aging and Brain Health program, is exploring the potential of ultrasound to support both diagnosis and therapy. He is developing new technologies that provide novel insights into the vascular systems and health of older adults. 

Yu’s technique, called vector flow imaging (VFI), provides information to measure how much blood is flowing to the brain and helps understand the risk for stroke. This information has never been available before. Another of Yu’s ultrasound advancements can quickly assess the stiffening of arteries in older adults which can contribute to elevated blood pressure and be associated with cognitive impairment.

Winners of the prestigious award receive $250,000 in grants over two years and are freed from teaching and administrative duties to focus on research full-time.

“It is an important opportunity to make our current research agenda transformative,” says Yu. “I also look forward to bringing our latest research advances back to the classroom later to teach the most updated knowledge in ultrasonics to our students.”

The RIA team congratulates Yu on receiving this prestigious award and we look forward to continued collaboration to enhance care and quality of life for older adults. To learn more, read Pushing the Potential of Ultrasound on the University’s website.