Naomi Matsuura, University of Toronto

Research

Microbubbles Chemotherapeutics Contrast Agent Endobronchial Ultrasound Image-Guided Therapy Lung Cancer Lung Cancer Therapy Biomaterials

Latest papers

Biodegradable sodium citrate-treated hyaluronic acid microspheres for genicular artery embolization.
Acta biomaterialia · 2026 · senior author
Fine-tuning the mechanical and degradation properties of chemically crosslinked hyaluronic acid hydrogels through salt treatment.
Carbohydrate polymers · 2026 · senior author
Transformer-based robotic ultrasound 3D tracking for capsule robot in GI tract.
International journal of computer assisted radiology and surgery · 2025

All 28 publications

Latest funding

Acoustic Reporter Genes: Applications in Cancer Metastasis
CIHR · 2025 · Co-investigator
$1,009,800
Engineering hierarchical materials responsive to imaging radiation
NSERC · 2024 · Principal investigator
$46,000
Dynamic Mechanical Analysis for Soft, Biomedical and Smart Structures
NSERC · 2024 · Co-investigator
$146,417

All 13 grants and awards

28 publications.

01

Biodegradable sodium citrate-treated hyaluronic acid microspheres for genicular artery embolization.

Dowling KI, Hidjir T, Zhang L, Carlo BD, Shakeri A, Cheung KK, Young EWK, Radisic M, Moeini M, Mafeld S, Matsuura N

Acta biomaterialia2026Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2026.01.003 PMID: 41506309

02

Fine-tuning the mechanical and degradation properties of chemically crosslinked hyaluronic acid hydrogels through salt treatment.

Moeini M, Hidjir T, Mafeld S, Matsuura N

Carbohydrate polymers2026Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2025.124682 PMID: 41371840

03

Transformer-based robotic ultrasound 3D tracking for capsule robot in GI tract.

Liu X, He C, Wu M, Ping A, Zavodni A, Matsuura N, Diller E

International journal of computer assisted radiology and surgery2025

DOI: 10.1007/s11548-025-03445-7 PMID: 40490591

04

Generative Synthesis of Highly Stable Perovskite Nanocrystals via Mesoporous Silica for Full-Spectrum White LED.

Wu J, Cai H, Shen P, Xu J, Chen Y, Banik J, Matsuura N, Huang K

Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)2025

DOI: 10.1002/smll.202507240 PMID: 40662342

05

3D CT Radiomic Analysis Improves Detection of Axillary Lymph Node Metastases Compared to Conventional Features in Patients With Locally Advanced Breast Cancer.

Barszczyk M, Singh N, Alikhassi A, Van Oirschot M, Kuling G, Kiss A, Gandhi S, Nofech-Mozes S, Look Hong N, Bilbily A, Martel A, Matsuura N, Curpen B

Journal of breast imaging2024

DOI: 10.1093/jbi/wbae022 PMID: 38752527

06

Theranostics - a sure cure for cancer after 100 years?

Song Y, Zou J, Castellanos EA, Matsuura N, Ronald JA, Shuhendler A, Weber WA, Gilad AA, Müller C, Witney TH, Chen X

Theranostics2024

DOI: 10.7150/thno.96675 PMID: 38646648

07

Imaging Microbubbles With Contrast-Enhanced Endobronchial Ultrasound.

McGrath S, Shen YJ, Aragaki M, Motooka Y, Koga T, Gregor A, Bernards N, Cherin E, Demore CEM, Yasufuku K, Matsuura N

Ultrasound in medicine & biology2024Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2023.08.020 PMID: 37813701

08

Using Machine Learning and Silver Nanoparticle-Based Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy for Classification of Cardiovascular Disease Biomarkers.

Dixon K, Bonon R, Ivander F, Ale Ebrahim S, Namdar K, Shayegannia M, Khalvati F, Kherani NP, Zavodni A, Matsuura N

ACS applied nano materials2023Senior author

DOI: 10.1021/acsanm.3c01442 PMID: 37706067

09

Capsule robot pose and mechanism state detection in ultrasound using attention-based hierarchical deep learning.

Liu X, Esser D, Wagstaff B, Zavodni A, Matsuura N, Kelly J, Diller E

Scientific reports2022

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-25572-w PMID: 36476715

10

Fabrication of Customizable Intraplaque Hemorrhage Phantoms for Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Bomben MA, Moody AR, Drake JM, Matsuura N

Molecular imaging and biology2022Senior author

DOI: 10.1007/s11307-022-01722-4 PMID: 35486294

Acoustic Reporter Genes: Applications in Cancer Metastasis

Co-investigatorCIHR2025Project Grant

Principal investigators: Demore, Christine E; Foster, F. Stuart; Michael, Iacovos P

Keywords: Acoustic Reporter Genes; Beamforming; Cancer Metastasis; Cancer Therapy; Cell Engineering; Cell Tracking; Green Fluorescent Protein; Mouse Models Of Cancer; Planewave Imaging; Ultrasound Imaging

$1,009,800

Engineering hierarchical materials responsive to imaging radiation

Principal investigatorNSERC2024Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: Matsuura, Naomi

Keywords: colloids; light; ultrasound; bubbles; droplets; nanoparticles; composites; x-ray

$46,000

Dynamic Mechanical Analysis for Soft, Biomedical and Smart Structures

Co-investigatorNSERC2024Research Tools and Instruments

Principal investigators: Naguib, Hani

Keywords: Aerogels; Composites; Drug delivery; Dynamic mechanical analysis; Mechanical properties; Medical phantoms; Porous polymers; Smart polymers; Soft robotics; Viscoelasticity

$146,417

Enhanced drug delivery to lung cancers using endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS)

Nominated PICIHR2024Project Grant

Principal investigators: Matsuura, Naomi; Yasufuku, Kazuhiro

Keywords: Chemotherapeutics; Contrast Agent; Endobronchial Ultrasound; Image-Guided Therapy; Lung Cancer; Lung Cancer Therapy; Microbubbles

$753,526

Characterization Platform for Hierarchical Structures in Smart and Multi-Functional Materials and Surfaces

Co-investigatorNSERC2022Research Tools and Instruments

Principal investigators: Naguib, Hani

$137,205

Next-Generation Point-of-Care System: Custom Integration of Confocal Raman Spectrometer and High-Sensitivity NanoPhotonic-MicroFluidic Devices

Co-investigatorNSERC2020Research Tools and Instruments

Principal investigators: Kherani, Nazir

$150,000

Rapid Reagent-Free Detection of COVID-19 in Exhaled Breath Condensate using Ultra-Sensitive Multi-wavelength SERS Nano-gratings_x000d_ _x000d_

Co-investigatorNSERC2020Alliance Grants

Principal investigators: Kherani, Nazir

$50,000

Ultrasound activated bubbles to potentiate cancer therapy

Nominated PICIHR2019Project Grant

Principal investigators: Matsuura, Naomi; Goertz, David E

Keywords: Biomaterials; Cancer Therapy; Focused Ultrasound; Microbubbles; Perfluorocarbon Contrast Agents

$455,176

Ultrasound-activated materials for the diagnosis and treatment of deadly pediatric brain cancers

Principal investigatorSSHRC2019New Frontiers in Research Fund - Exploration

Principal investigators: Matsuura, Naomi

Keywords: perfluorocarbon; colloids; pediatric cancer; ultrasound; magnetic resonance imaging; neuro-oncology; brain biopsy; brain tumour

$273,175

Assessment of Microbial Growth in Fermented Batters

Principal investigatorNSERC2018Engage Grants Program

Principal investigators: Matsuura, Naomi

$25,000

From CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding decisions: CIHR since 2008, NSERC since 1991 and SSHRC since 1998, including their latest published competition results.

Frequent collaborators

Department of Surgery
Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
Department of Medical Biophysics
Biochemistry
Department of Medical Imaging
Medical Biophysics
Chemistry & Chemical Biology
Other

Co-authors at University of Toronto, colored by department. Thicker lines mean more shared papers; select anyone to open their profile and their own map.

Eric Diller

Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

2 shared papers, latest 2025

Sharon Nofech-Mozes

Physical Sciences

1 shared papers, latest 2024

Farzad Khalvati

Department of Medical Imaging

1 shared papers, latest 2023

Nicole Look Hong

Department of Surgery

1 shared papers, latest 2024

Milica Radisic

Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering

1 shared papers, latest 2026

Jean Gariepy

Medical Biophysics

1 shared papers, latest 2012

Jinzi Zheng

Faculty

1 shared papers, latest 2019

Adam Shuhendler

Faculty

1 shared papers, latest 2024

Kazuhiro Yasufuku

Department of Surgery

1 shared papers, latest 2024

Elizabeth Gillies

Biochemistry

1 shared papers, latest 2019

John F Valliant

Chemistry & Chemical Biology

1 shared papers, latest 2017

Anne Martel

Department of Medical Biophysics

1 shared papers, latest 2024

Write to this professor

A short, specific email works best. This draft uses one of their recent papers; replace the parts in brackets with your own details before sending.

Applying for

Paper to mentionMention their NSERC grant from 2024

Subject: Prospective PhD student: Microbubbles Dear Professor Matsuura, My name is [your name], and I am a [your current degree or role] at [your institution]. I am applying for a PhD position starting in [term and year]. I read your paper "Biodegradable sodium citrate-treated hyaluronic acid microspheres for genicular artery embolization." (2026), and it connects closely to my own work on [your research topic]. [One or two sentences on what you did and what you learned.] I also saw your NSERC-funded project "Engineering hierarchical materials responsive to imaging radiation" (2024), and I would be glad to contribute to work in that direction. Are you accepting new PhD students for [term and year]? I have attached my CV and transcripts, and I would be glad to talk at a time that suits you. Thank you for your time. Kind regards, [your name]