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Consumer Technology Association Discusses Emerging Technology and John Grisham’s The Tumor with Neal Kassell [Adapted from Consumer Technology Association’s Blog, Dec. 18, 2017] Technology truly has the power to change the world and in the medical field, this is being proven time and time again. Dr. Neal F. Kassell is a neurosurgeon who is championing a new medical technology called “focused ultrasound,” which is just one example of how science and technology is revolutionizing healthcare.

The “science of patient input” and “patient engagement” have been hot topics recently in discussions about the future of our biomedical innovation ecosystem. Patient organizations have long promoted the idea that patients should be partners with industry as they develop new therapies, that their perspectives and insights are valuable throughout the pathway from bench to bedside. We are also seeing new legislation, including the 21st Century Cures Act and the Prescription Drug and Medical Device User Fee Acts (PDUFA, MDUFA), capture these sentiments by encouraging an increased patient role in the regulatory process. The concept is also starting to catch on in industry with many device and drug companies creating new positions dedicated to patient engagement efforts. But there is still a lot of work ahead to develop practical methodologies for utilizing patient input and to show the return on investment. 

At the Focused Ultrasound Foundation (FUSF), an important part of our mission includes identifying, educating, and mentoring future focused ultrasound clinicians and scientists. With this goal in mind, several years ago we launched our International Research Fellowship Program. Today this program includes internship and fellowship opportunities for the best minds in the field, both in the US and abroad. The Foundation’s International Research Fellowship Program began in the summer of 2012 with our first visiting scholar, CNRS-funded research professor Jean-François (Jeff) Aubry, PhD, who took a year-long sabbatical from the Institut Langevin, Espci Paris to join FUSF. In his fellowship role, Jeff collaborated on research projects with both Foundation staff and researchers at the University of Virginia (UVA). His projects ranged from thermal dose predictive modeling to head phantom development for acoustic testing. Upon his return to Paris, Jeff was elected as president of the International Society for Therapeutic Ultrasound for a three-year term, and he continues to visit Charlottesville to advance ongoing collaborative research projects. It was clear to us after our very productive experience with Jeff that we had identified a crucial unmet need by offering this fellowship as a unique opportunity for inter-institutional collaboration in the field of focused ultrasound.

Innovation is the driving force for biomedical research as we strive for health care that is safer, more effective and of greater value. Continued innovation requires collaboration, particularly in this time of limited resources, global competition and long timelines from bench to bedside. The biomedical community is recognizing the need to break down the silos that impede progress, and foundations – including the Focused Ultrasound Foundation – are realizing a need for quick and widespread dissemination of research results that will forge new partnerships among multiple stakeholders including researchers, clinicians, industry, government and patients.