Neil Owen Devices resulting from electrical engineering student Neil Owen's work at the Center for Industrial and Medical Ultrasound may someday be found in orbiting space stations and speeding ambulances. Neil's path from a career in industry to graduate studies in electrical engineering and research at CIMU has been motivated by the "... chance to learn more and apply it to a cause that will ultimately save lives. This is a very exciting environment. Neil is building a compact, self-contained, image-guided high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) hemostasis device to support a joint NASA and NIH project (see "Ultrasonic Medicine in Space" on page 18). He has collaborated with several Laboratory engineers to build a small, efficient power supply, develop a transducer that allows dynamic depth control, and an image-analysis algorithm that recognizes the HIFU-treated area-segmenting and sizing it. He has also devised methods to synchronize the HIFU system with any commercially available and unmodified ultrasound imager. His advisor, Engineer Mike Bailey, credits Neil with "… enabling us to dramatically reduce the size, weight, and complexity of an image-guided system and move it toward a single, easy-to-use but multifunctional device." While engaged in important research, Neil is lauded as an outstanding student who contributes to the collegiality of CIMU labs. "Neil helps direct the work of undergraduates in the lab and is an expert aide on electrical engineering homework," says Bailey. Neil notes that in return, because the students have such diverse backgrounds, he receives guidance on physics, mechanics, and acoustics. Neil and Bailey are also effective forces in enhancing the Laboratory's sharing of science through educational outreach. Their ultrasound demonstrations are favorites of the high school and college student groups that are frequent Laboratory visitors. A highlight of Neil's academic career was representing APL-UW at the fall 2002 Acoustical Society of America meeting where he presented his work on detecting and segmenting HIFU lesions in an ultrasound image. He is nominated to be a student council representative for the society's physical acoustics technical committee as well. Earning his MSEE degree in 2003, Neil is continuing studies toward a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and is working toward commercial development of the ultrasound image-guided HIFU hemostasis device.