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The Foundation recently received a $1 million unrestricted gift from a supporter who wishes to remain anonymous and hopes others will also get involved. “I am inspired by the impact being made by the Foundation and am delighted that my gift has the potential to improve life for millions of people,” the donor said. “Focused ultrasound represents a revolution in noninvasive medicine, and I encourage others to join me in helping accelerate the Foundation’s momentum.” If you are interested in supporting the Foundation, contact Kimberly Skelly at 434-326-9830 or kskelly@fusfoundation.org.  

A team led by Sanjiv Sam Gambhir, MD, PhD at Stanford University has received a $100,000 research award from the Focused Ultrasound Foundation to develop an innovative early detection technique for tumor masses. The approach will use focused ultrasound to facilitate the release and detection of blood biomarkers.

Billy R. Williams is proud to be the first patient in the world to receive focused ultrasound treatment for essential tremor. A year after his procedure, which marked the beginning of the ground-breaking pilot clinical trial at the University of Virginia, he reports being “very, very happy” with treatment results. In a video interview, Williams and UVA neurological physical therapist Diane Huss, PhD, say that some tremor has returned but is being managed by a small and well-tolerated drug dose.

A special gathering hosted by the Foundation in April honored the 15 patients treated last year during the essential tremor clinical trial at the University of Virginia. Dubbed the “First 15,” the celebratory event was attended by patients, their families and friends, by members of UVA’s neurosurgical clinical team, and by Foundation staff, directors and donors. To commemorate the event, patients received individually numbered t-shirts and a book inscribed by best-selling author and Foundation board member John Grisham. Representatives of the public/private partners that created UVA’s Focused Ultrasound Center – the site of the study – addressed the group: Jeff Elias, MD and Diane Huss, PhD of UVA; Neal Kassell, MD of the Focused Ultrasound Foundation; William Howell, Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates; and Eyal Zadicario of InSightec. Catherine S. Rice, Executive Director of the International Essential Tremor Foundation, also spoke.