Qifa Zhou Honored for Contributions to the Biomedical Ultrasound Field

Greta Harrison | July 1, 2025 

The 16th International Conference on Ultrasound Engineering for Biomedical Applications in South Korea recognized Zhou, an expert in high-frequency ultrasound imaging technology.

Zohrab A. Kaprielian Fellow in Engineering in the Department of Biomedical Engineering Qifa Zhou. Photo/Will Taylor

Zohrab A. Kaprielian Fellow in Engineering at USC Viterbi School of Engineering Qifa Zhou has been honored with the 2025 Achievement Award at the International Conference on Ultrasound Engineering for Biomedical Applications (IC-UEBA) in Daegu, South Korea. The award recognizes Zhou’s outstanding contributions to the field of biomedical ultrasound.

The IC-UEBA award highlights Zhou’s pioneering research and leadership in the development of ultrasound transducers, high-frequency ultrasound, photoacoustic imaging systems and retina neuromodulation technologies — “advancements that have significantly transformed the landscape of multimodal imaging and therapeutic ultrasound in biomedical applications.”

“I am honored to receive this recognition of my work,” said Zhou, who holds joint appointments in the Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering and Department of Ophthalmology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC.

Zhou’s research has revolutionized medical imaging capabilities, particularly in the development of high-frequency ultrasound technology. His laboratory was the first to develop high-sensitivity PMN-PT single crystal transducers for ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging, enabling unprecedented, detailed visualization of blood vessels, cancer tissues, and ultrasound stimulation for vision restoration.

As a principal investigator at the Medical Ultrasound Transducer Center, Zhou has pioneered innovative approaches to medical imaging. His recent work includes ultrasonic therapeutic technology for retinal stimulation to restore sight and developing novel tools for measuring elastic properties of retinal and corneal tissue.

Zhou has published more than 340 peer-reviewed papers in prestigious journals, including Science, Nature Medicine, Nature Biomedical Engineering, Nature Photonics, Nature Communications, Science Robotics and Science Advances. His research has earned him fellowships in the International Society for Optics and Photonics (SPIE), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), along with numerous academic accolades. He is a senior member of the National Academy of Inventors.

Zhou’s expertise is widely recognized in the scientific community, as evidenced by his role on the Technical Program Committee of the IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium and his position as Associate Editor of the IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control. Zhou joined USC in 2002, where his research has consistently pushed the boundaries of medical imaging technology, recently earning recognition including a 2023 best paper award at the International Conference on the Ultrasound Engineering for Biomedical Applications, a 2022 USC Viterbi Senior Research Award, a 2022 BME Frontiers Best Paper prize and 2024 USC Viterbi Use-inspired Award. In early 2025, Zhou received the Golden Axon Leadership Award from the Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics and World Brain Mapping Foundation .