Charles F. Caskey, PhD

Charles F. Caskey, PhD is a professor of radiology and biomedical engineering at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he leads the Laboratory for Acoustic Therapy and Imaging at the Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science. He has worked in ultrasound research since 2004 and completed his PhD in Biomedical Engineering at the University of California, Davis, studying the biophysical mechanisms of microbubble‑enhanced drug delivery under Dr. Katherine Ferrara. His subsequent work advanced MR‑guided focused ultrasound neuromodulation technologies, and in 2018 he received the Fred Lizzi Early Career Award from the International Society for Therapeutic Ultrasound.

Dr. Caskey’s laboratory develops ultrasound technologies for neuromodulation, drug delivery, and functional imaging, integrating ultrasound with MRI, electrophysiology, and molecular imaging. He leads multiple projects aimed at first‑in‑human neuromodulation systems, mechanistic foundations of focused ultrasound stimulation, and next‑generation transcranial therapeutic strategies. His work emphasizes advancing ultrasound technologies toward clinical translation, along with precision targeting, and multimodal approaches to noninvasive modulation of brain circuits, supported by extensive interdisciplinary collaborations within and beyond Vanderbilt.