Transcranial Ultrasound Stimulation (TUS)
A pioneering, non-invasive brain stimulation laboratory located in the Brain Research and Imagery Centre (BRIC)
Introducing Transcranial Ultrasound Stimulation
Transcranial Ultrasound Stimulation (TUS) is a non-invasive neuromodulatory technique that uses focused ultrasound waves to target and influence specific areas of the brain. This method can temporarily enhance or inhibit neural activity, making it a promising tool for treating conditions like depression and chronic pain, as well as improving cognitive functions.
It is safe and painless, offering a reversible and adjustable approach to brain stimulation.
Developing cutting-edge TUS capability
At Plymouth, we have developed one of the most advanced and comprehensive ultrasound stimulation labs in the world, led by Dr Elsa Fouragnan – a leading authority on brain stimulation research in the UK and recognised internationally.
By combining neuroimaging, neurostimulation, computational modelling and engineering, Dr Fouragnan and her team are pioneering TUS research which has the potential to improve the lives of millions of people. Our research confirms that TUS surpasses established brain stimulation methods by affording transient manipulation of neural activity, deep in the brain with unprecedented precision.
Dr Fouragnan has extensively published in this area. Since 2020, their work has been cited more than 1,000 times.
International Transcranial Ultrasonic Stimulation Safety and Standards (ITRUSST)
Dr Fouragnan is an active member of ITRUSST, an international consortium safety group has established recommendations based on existing guidelines for diagnostic ultrasound from regulatory bodies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the British Medical Ultrasound Society (BMUS) and the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM).
Our research
Research team
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![Dr Elsa Fouragnan]()
Dr Elsa Fouragnan
Associate Professor in Neuroscience and Head of the Brain Stimulation Lab
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![Suraya Dunsford, Postdoctoral Research Fellow]()
Dr Suraya Dunsford
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
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![Sophie Clarke, Postdoctoral Researcher]()
Dr Sophie Clarke
Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Exeter
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![Bethan Barrett, Research Assistant]()
Bethan Barrett
Research Assistant
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Nomiki Koutsoumpari
Teaching and Research Associate (TARA), and PhD Student
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![Niamh Cameron, Research Assistant]()
Niamh Cameron
PhD Candidate
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![Samuel Mugglestone, PhD Student]()
Samuel Mugglestone
PhD Candidate
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![Rimsha Mahrukh, PhD Student, University of Plymouth]()
Rimsha Mahrukh
PhD Student, University of Plymouth
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![Eleonora Carpino, PhD Student]()
Eleonora Carpino
PhD Student
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![Timothy Palmer, PhD Student]()
Timothy Palmer
PhD Student
The Volunteer Centre
Leading the first UK Transcranial Ultrasound Stimulation research studies
Developing new treatments and therapies needs volunteers to take part in trials for new and cutting-edge research. We are currently recruiting for:
Together, we can help bring about an end to the suffering of thousands of people.
In the news
£6.5m project aims to revolutionise mental health treatment using ultrasound
The University is working with NHS and industry partners to test a device using ultrasound to improve mood and reduce depression
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![Photograph of Dr Elsa Fouragnan with patient]()
Ultrasound can be used as search and rescue tool for the brain
Scientists highlight the potential for ultrasound to treat some of the more complex health conditions affecting the human brain
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![Ultrasound technology being used in the transcranial ultrasound stimulation lab at the University of Plymouth Brain Research and Imaging Centre]()
Targeted ultrasound can change brain functions for up to an hour after intervention
Neuroscientists working in our Brain Research and Imaging Centre led a new study published in Nature Communications
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![MRI Image Of Head Showing Brain]()
Will depression treatment work for me? Research shows that brain activity may help predict success of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
The brain activity of patients with depression, captured by MRI scans, may help doctors predict who will respond to the therapy
- More related news
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'Researchers using ultrasound to treat OCD symptoms': BBC News
Scientists in Devon are trialling the use of ultrasound to stimulate areas of the brain which trigger obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms.
Experts at the Brain Research and Imaging Centre at the University of Plymouth said they want to prove that transcranial stimulation can treat networks in the brain that do not communicate properly.
'Over the microscope': an interview with Dr Elsa Fouragnan
Dr Elsa Fouragnan explores the potential for ultrasound to create a significant shift in mental health treatments.
“People are talking a lot more about mental health conditions these days, but what if there was a way to use non-invasive technology to help people affected by them? I have seen the effects of addiction at very close quarters. Trying to prevent other people from having to go through anything like that is something that drives me.”
Brain Research & Imaging Centre (BRIC)
The Brain Stimulation Laboratory
BRIC’s vision is to translate human neuroscience into clinical applications with tangible societal impact through partnership with the NHS, particularly through Derriford Hospital, the largest in the South West.
With seven cutting-edge human research laboratories, The Brain Stimulation Laboratory enables research that targets the causes of neurological disorders. The BRIC facility provides a state-of-the-art Siemens Prisma 3T MRI scanner, and within the Brain Stimulation laboratory, an ultrasound neurostimulation technique that is safe, non-invasive and localised (at the millimetre scale).
