Key Points
- Dr. Cherukuri will oversee all Foundation-funded projects that are advancing focused ultrasound veterinary research.
- She has more than a decade of leadership experience in scientific project management and instrumentation development.
Before joining the Foundation in 2025 as the Veterinary Program manager, Tonya Cherukuri, PhD, served as a vice president at Applied NanoFluorescence, where she spearheaded the design, development, and manufacturing of custom multimode spectroscopy systems. As part of this role, she led a Small Business Innovation Research (or SBIR) Phase I/II project to develop novel spectroscopic instrumentation for the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Previously, she was a senior scientist at Sanofi. Her background in scientific innovation, program leadership, and applied research brings valuable technical depth and strategic perspective to her role as the Veterinary Program’s director.
Because veterinary medicine plays a unique role in medical research, the Foundation is fostering, supporting, and developing an active focused ultrasound veterinary community. Beyond benefiting both companion animals and their owners, veterinary clinical studies also support the rapid translation of innovations from bench to bedside.
Now, in the director role, Dr. Cherukuri will oversee the Foundation’s veterinary research portfolio, which currently has 14 open clinical studies at 8 institutions with nearly $3 million in funding. These clinical trials are treating diseases such as osteosarcoma, oral tumors, lymphoma, and heart disease in companion animals.
“I’m motivated to continue to advance the research priorities identified by the program’s scientific advisory board,” said Dr. Cherukuri. “Visiting several of our principal investigators and research sites has also given me great insights on what is needed to take the program to the next level.”
“It was an easy decision to promote Tonya into this role,” said Foundation Chairman Neal F. Kassell, MD. “Her leadership skills and program knowledge make her a valuable asset to our veterinary community. We look forward to supporting her as she expands the program, adopts new clinical devices, and makes it possible for veterinarians to treat more and more of their patients with focused ultrasound.”
After earning a BS in chemistry from Grand Valley State University and completing her PhD in physical chemistry at Rice University, Dr. Cherukuri completed a National Research Council postdoctoral fellowship in the Materials and Manufacturing Directorate at the Air Force Research Laboratory.