Alec Batts

About

Dr. Alec Batts is a Postdoctoral Research Associate jointly appointed in the laboratories of Dr. Natasha Sheybani and Dr. Richard Price in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Virginia. His research lies at the intersection of therapeutic ultrasound, gene and cell therapy, and neuroengineering, with a focus on developing noninvasive platforms for targeted delivery to the brain. Alec earned his PhD, MS, and MPhil in Biomedical Engineering from Columbia University, where he trained under Dr. Elisa Konofagou in the Ultrasound and Elasticity Imaging Laboratory (UEIL). His doctoral work focused on the development of accessible, “theranostic” systems for ultrasound-guided focused ultrasound (USgFUS), enabling in vivo delivery of AAV-based gene therapies across the blood-brain barrier for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Huntington’s. In parallel, he collaborated on preclinical and clinical studies examining the role of FUS in modulating aging-related neurovascular dysfunction and delaying Alzheimer’s disease progression. Alec began his postdoctoral training at Columbia, continuing to adapt the use of FUS for blood-brain barrier opening and therapeutic delivery in neurosurgical applications before transitioning to UVA. His current work aims to expand the clinical potential of FUS through integration with next-generation non-viral gene and engineered cell therapies for brain tumors, with an emphasis on translational approaches that improve safety, precision, and accessibility. Alec also serves as a Gene Therapy Analyst with the Focused Ultrasound Foundation, where he helps advance the clinical translation of ultrasound-enabled gene therapies. Outside of the lab, Alec enjoys architecture and interior design appreciation, photography, hiking, and scuba diving.