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Tamalika Paul: Magic bubbles versus cancer

A smiling group of graduate students and their advisor, posing for a picture in front of a caboose.
Tamalika Paul (top row, in red) and her lab mates and advisor Irving Coy Allen (second from left) celebrate an accomplishment. Photo courtesy of Tamalika Paul.

This piece was written in the spring of 2025 by GRAD 5144 (Communicating Science) student Nana Siaw-Mensah as part of an assignment to interview a classmate and write a news story about her research.

Imagine battling cancer without the dreaded scalpel. At Virginia Tech, graduate researcher Tamalika Paul is turning science fiction into reality, using focused ultrasound to liquefy pancreatic tumors. This innovative approach, histotripsy, offers a beacon of hope for patients facing one of the deadliest forms of cancer.

    "I can see everything I'm doing," Paul says, her eyes lighting up. "I can see the cancer cells under the microscope, the bubble cloud in real time. It's amazing." 

    This tangible connection to her research fuels Paul’s passion for developing histotripsy, a non-invasive technique that uses focused ultrasound to destroy cancer tissue. A third-year Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Paul didn't always envision herself in this field. Originally from India, she started her Ph.D. journey in a chemistry department. However, she soon realized her true calling lay in the intersection of engineering and biology. 

    "I needed to see the impact of my work," she explains. "I needed to see the biology."

    Her current research focuses on pancreatic cancer, a disease notorious for its late-stage diagnosis and limited treatment options.

     "Pancreatic cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S.," Paul states. "By the time symptoms appear, the cancer has often spread, making surgery difficult."

    Histotripsy offers a potential solution. By focusing ultrasound waves on the tumor, Paul and her team create a "bubble cloud" that rapidly expands and collapses, effectively liquefying the cancerous tissue. What sets this technique apart is its real-time image guidance, similar to a sonogram, allowing doctors to precisely target tumors without invasive surgery.

The image shows a conceptual diagram where a focused ultrasound is used to detect and destroy pancreatic cancer tissue in a patient.
Conceptual diagram of histotripsy. Photo and full caption provided by Bader et al. (2019).

    "We can see the tumor and target it directly," Paul explains. "This avoids the complications of traditional surgery." 

    But the benefits don't stop there. Paul's research also suggests that histotripsy stimulates the immune system, leading to the shrinkage of tumors located outside the treated area. "It's like our immune system is recognizing the abnormal cells and fighting them off," she says.

    However, developing this cutting-edge technology is not without its challenges. "Imaging can be difficult, especially with gas in the stomach," Paul admits. "And pancreatic cancer is surrounded by critical structures, so precision is crucial."

    Despite these hurdles, Paul remains optimistic. Her dedication is deeply personal, driven by a lifelong fascination with biology and a desire to make a difference. 

    "I've lost people to cancer," she shares. "If I can contribute to a cure, that would be incredible."

    Paul's journey from chemistry to biomedical engineering highlights the importance of perseverance and passion. "Don't be afraid to change paths," she advises aspiring researchers. "Find what truly excites you."

    Her work is a testament to the power of interdisciplinary collaboration. She works with two advisors at Virginia Tech: Irving Coy Allen from the Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, and Eli Vlaisavljevich from the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics.

    "This research takes a village," she says. "We have engineers, biologists, and clinicians working together." And there are already promising results. Paul was part of the team whose earlier histotripsy work led to ongoing clinical trials. 

    "It's exciting to see our research translated into real-world applications," she says.

    For those interested in joining the fight against cancer, Paul extends an invitation. "If you're passionate about finding new solutions, come join our lab," she says. "We're a team of dedicated individuals working towards a common goal."


Source

Bader, K. B., Vlaisavljevich, E., & Maxwell, A. D. (2019). For Whom the Bubble Grows: Physical Principles of Bubble Nucleation and Dynamics in Histotripsy Ultrasound Therapy. Ultrasound in medicine & biology, 45(5), 1056–1080. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2018.10.035