Adjunct Faculty
Adjunct faculty typically have an academic or research appointment at another institution and contribute or collaborate with one or more School of Medicine faculty members or programs.
Adjunct rank detailsSpencer T Brinker, PhD
Assistant Professor AdjunctAbout
Research
Publications
2025
557. Transcranial Ultrasound Stimulation of the Right Globus Pallidus in Schizophrenia: A Randomized Sham-Controlled Pilot Study
Qi W, Santacatterina M, Brinker S, Gilad A, Capichioni G, Ando F, Castellanos F, Shoham S, Goff D. 557. Transcranial Ultrasound Stimulation of the Right Globus Pallidus in Schizophrenia: A Randomized Sham-Controlled Pilot Study. Biological Psychiatry 2025, 97: s328. DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2025.02.796.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchTranscranial Focused Ultrasound Stimulation in Dynamic Clinical Settings: Initial Strategy in Schizophrenia and Status Epilepticus
Brinker S, Qi W, King-Stephens D, Shoham S. Transcranial Focused Ultrasound Stimulation in Dynamic Clinical Settings: Initial Strategy in Schizophrenia and Status Epilepticus. Ultrasound In Medicine & Biology 2025, 51: 725-726. PMID: 39848822, DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2024.12.019.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2024
Multimodal assessment of brain stiffness variation in healthy subjects using magnetic resonance elastography and ultrasound time-harmonic elastography
Klemmer Chandía S, Schattenfroh J, Brinker S, Tzschätzsch H, Sack I, Meyer T. Multimodal assessment of brain stiffness variation in healthy subjects using magnetic resonance elastography and ultrasound time-harmonic elastography. Scientific Reports 2024, 14: 28580. PMID: 39562835, PMCID: PMC11576992, DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-79991-y.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsShear wave speedVariation of stiffnessUltrasound fieldMagnetic resonance elastographyStiffness variationTime-harmonic elastographyWave speedStiffness valuesMultifrequency magnetic resonance elastographyStiffnessField of viewMonitoring of intracranial pressurePotential applicationsUltrasound time-harmonic elastographyBedside monitoringHealthy volunteersMultimodal assessmentShear wave speed valuesHealthy subjectsIntracranial pressureCross-validating magnetic resonance elastography and ultrasound time-harmonic elastography of the brain by using a 3D optical tracker
Chandía S, Schattenfroh J, Brinker S, Tzschätzsch H, Meyer T, Sack I. Cross-validating magnetic resonance elastography and ultrasound time-harmonic elastography of the brain by using a 3D optical tracker. Proceedings Of The International Society For Magnetic Resonance In Medicine ... Scientific Meeting And Exhibition. 2024 DOI: 10.58530/2024/1328.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2023
Global sonication of the human intracranial space via a jumbo planar transducer
Brinker S, Yoon K, Benveniste H. Global sonication of the human intracranial space via a jumbo planar transducer. Ultrasonics 2023, 134: 107062. PMID: 37343366, DOI: 10.1016/j.ultras.2023.107062.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPlanar transducerAcoustic intensityUltrasound beamAcoustic wave reflectionFocused ultrasound beamHuman skull specimensTherapeutic ultrasound applicationsElectrical powerSpatial-peak pulse-average intensityField uniformityTransmission lossField characterizationWave behaviorUltrasound applicationWave reflectionPulse average intensityTreatment envelopeComputational simulationsUltrasound energyPulse parametersStimulation regionSimulationsBeamLens effectTransducerMR elastography of soft porous tissue phantoms with varying macrostructure and pore pressure
Brinker S, Klatt D. MR elastography of soft porous tissue phantoms with varying macrostructure and pore pressure. Journal Of The Mechanics And Physics Of Solids 2023, 174: 105243. DOI: 10.1016/j.jmps.2023.105243.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPore pressureShear modulus of tissueModulus of tissuePore network geometryMagnetic resonance elastographyPressure stateQuasi-staticShear wavelengthPore branchingNetwork geometryLiquid pressureTissue-like mediaExperimental resultsSensitive to pore pressurePorous systemPorePressure mechanismTissue phantomsStructure of soft tissuesGeometryPressureMRE acquisitionShearStiffnessPhantom
2022
Feasibility of Upper Cranial Nerve Sonication in Human Application via Neuronavigated Single-Element Pulsed Focused Ultrasound
Brinker S, Balchandani P, Seifert A, Kim H, Yoon K. Feasibility of Upper Cranial Nerve Sonication in Human Application via Neuronavigated Single-Element Pulsed Focused Ultrasound. Ultrasound In Medicine & Biology 2022, 48: 1045-1057. PMID: 35341621, DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2022.01.022.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2020
Focused Ultrasound Platform for Investigating Therapeutic Neuromodulation Across the Human Hippocampus
Brinker S, Preiswerk F, White P, Mariano T, McDannold N, Bubrick E. Focused Ultrasound Platform for Investigating Therapeutic Neuromodulation Across the Human Hippocampus. Ultrasound In Medicine & Biology 2020, 46: 1270-1274. PMID: 32088061, PMCID: PMC7239323, DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2020.01.007.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsTemporal lobe epilepsySeizure onset zoneDrug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsyLobe epilepsyLow-intensity focused ultrasoundAdverse eventsTherapeutic modalitiesHuman studiesInter-stimulation intervalsHippocampal targetsClinical interestFocused ultrasoundSpatial peak temporal average intensityTherapeutic neuromodulationNeurological disordersTemporal average intensityHuman hippocampusHippocampusNeuromodulationEpilepsyHuman subjectsMultiple sessionsUltrasound platform
2019
Virtual Brain Projection for Evaluating Trans-skull Beam Behavior of Transcranial Ultrasound Devices
Brinker S, Preiswerk F, McDannold N, Parker K, Mariano T. Virtual Brain Projection for Evaluating Trans-skull Beam Behavior of Transcranial Ultrasound Devices. Ultrasound In Medicine & Biology 2019, 45: 1850-1856. PMID: 31060860, PMCID: PMC6827342, DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2019.03.009.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsEx vivo human skullLow intensity applicationsBrain ProjectVirtual targetReal timeNavigation cameraPiezoelectric transducersBeam distortionComputational model validationPositioning reliabilityProjection methodMethod's flexibilityBeam behaviorField mappingVirtualTechnical approachStimulation targetCameraLeft dorsolateral prefrontal cortexSoftwareTreatment of neuropsychiatric disordersDorsolateral prefrontal cortexMethod
2018
Scalp sensor for simultaneous acoustic emission detection and electroencephalography during transcranial ultrasound
Brinker S, Crake C, Ives J, Bubrick E, McDannold N. Scalp sensor for simultaneous acoustic emission detection and electroencephalography during transcranial ultrasound. Physics In Medicine And Biology 2018, 63: 155017. PMID: 29968579, PMCID: PMC6190699, DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/aad0c2.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsElectroencephalography signal qualitySensor prototypeSignal qualityScalp sensorsSkull phantomAcoustic emission detectionSensorBrain treatmentIntact human skullPiezoelectric diskLow-intensitiesEEG electrodesBench top investigationHigh-intensitiesElectroencephalographyMillimeter accuracyTranscranial ultrasoundEnergySenor