Donors Making a Difference

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, the Foundation is able to help make focused ultrasound a reality for patients. Read stories from some of those people who have been touched by focused ultrasound and understand its true potential.

Donor Profile: Thomas Daschle

Former US Senator and Foundation Council member, Thomas Daschle shares why he supports the technology and the Foundation.

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Donor Profile: Mo and John Pritzker

Foundation Council member Mo Pritzker and her husband, John, share why they support the Foundation and how they see focused ultrasound changing medicine.

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Donor Profile: Cassiopeia Foundation and Ethan Miller

Ethan Miller is a principal in the Cassiopeia Foundation, which has supported focused ultrasound research for neurodegenerative disorders.

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Donor Profile: Sharon McBay

In this profile, Sharon McBay shares her personal motivation for supporting the Focused Ultrasound Foundation and her hope for this technology.

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Donor Profile: Katie and Todd Boehly

A family health condition led the Boehlys to learn about focused ultrasound and get involved with the Foundation…

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Determined to Make a Difference Anonymously

One invaluable supporter is in awe of focused ultrasound’s potential and gives generously upfront, allowing the Foundation to focus on research and development. They are proud to give anonymously.

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Donor Profile: Ray Chambers

Mr. Chambers is a philanthropist, humanitarian, and an early and successful pioneer in the private equity landscape. Learn why he supports focused ultrasound and the Foundation.

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Donor Profile: Rick Frisbie

Rick Frisbie spent his career as a distinguished executive in the financial industry, working most recently for Morgan Stanley as a Senior Vice President and Portfolio Management Director.

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Donor Profile: Koch Disruptive Technologies

Koch Disruptive Technologies (KDT) is a unique investment entity within Koch Industries, Inc., that partners with principled entrepreneurs who are building transformative companies to change the world.

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Donor Profile: Gary Shapiro

Gary Shapiro is president and CEO of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)™, which owns and produces CES®, the global stage for innovation. In January 2018 from the CES stage, Shapiro interviewed Foundation Chairman Neal F. Kassell, MD, and Foundation board member John Grisham about focused ultrasound.

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Donor Profile: Paul Manning

Paul Manning is Chairman and CEO of PBM Capital, a healthcare-focused investment firm that invests in companies in the pharmaceutical and life sciences industries.

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Family Matters: Jane and Dorothy Batten Are on a Mission to Advance Focused Ultrasound

By any measure, the Batten family ranks among the most impactful philanthropists of our time, playing a major role in enhancing the educational and cultural resources of Virginia. Known for their influence and generosity, Jane (mother) and Dorothy (daughter) are presented with countless opportunities to support worthy causes. And yet, “No family has done more ...

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Donor Profile: Russ Carson

Russ Carson is a cofounder of Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe, which is a leading private equity investor and owner of companies in the health care and information technology industries.

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Donor Profile: W. Heywood Fralin

W. Heywood Fralin is the chairman of Medical Facilities of America, which operates 40 skilled nursing facilities in Virginia and North Carolina. He is also co-chairman of Retirement Unlimited, which operates six assisted-living facilities in Virginia.

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Donor Profile: Tom Gentile

Tom Gentile was named president and chief executive officer of Spirit AeroSystems in August 2016. Spirit is an $8 billion manufacturer of structures such as fuselages and wings for commercial and military aircraft.

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Donor Profile: Anonymous

Inspired by a presentation at TEDx Charlottesville in 2015, one Foundation donor chooses to support our mission without recognition.

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Donor Profile: Bob Hirsch

After graduating from the University of Wisconsin and serving in the United States Army, Bob Hirsch joined his Chicago-based family business, Gold Eagle Co. The company manufactures products that protect and preserve vehicles, boats, and outdoor power equipment. Hirsch served as Gold Eagle’s chairman until early 2019. Bob shares why he is interested in the ...

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Donor Profile: Albert Small, Sr.

Mr. Albert Small, Sr., a third-generation Washingtonian, is a real-estate developer with a passion for collecting historical documents. He has donated his remarkable collections to the University of Virginia and George Washington University. At 93 years old, he is currently the president of Southern Engineering Corporation in Bethesda, Maryland. His granddaughter, Foundation Research Assistant, Isabella ...

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Donor Profile: Jimmy Wright, PhD

Dr. Jimmy Wright grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, where he attended The Westminster Schools. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina (UNC), where he was a Morehead Scholar. He then earned his PhD in Education from UNC while serving as Assistant Director for The John Motley Morehead Foundation. He has led ...

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Donor Profile: Sherry Sharp

Sherry Sharp founded the Rick Sharp Alzheimer’s Foundation in memory of her husband and to bring a greater awareness to the need for research funding. Sharp serves on the board of directors of the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund and as an advisor to Sweet Monday Ministry.

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Donor Profile: Morry Blumenfeld, PhD

S. Morry Blumenfeld, PhD, is an authority on medical device development, specifically in the areas of imaging and minimally invasive procedures. He spent nearly 35 years holding various positions at General Electric (GE), where he was integral in developing the company’s computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) product lines. Dr. Blumenfeld is currently ...

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Donor Profile: Peter Gabriel

Peter Gabriel is a musician. He founded the group Genesis with a bunch of friends from school. Since leaving the band in 1975, he has pursued a solo career releasing albums and film scores. He has founded WOMAD (World of Music Arts and Dance); Witness.org to pioneer the use of cameras and technology in human ...

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Donor Profile: Harry Lester

Harry Lester’s experience in medicine and medical research grew through his involvement with Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia, where he served on the Board of Visitors and then as interim president. After his wife’s battle with cancer and Alzheimer’s and his own diagnosis of stage-four cancer, Lester’s interest in medical research took a ...

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Donor Profile: Carol Loomis

Carol Loomis has spent her career reporting on complex financial and business subjects for Fortune Magazine. In 2014, she retired as a senior editor-at-large after a 60-year career with the publication. After playing a role in the first mention of focused ultrasound in Fortune, she became a supporter of the technology’s potential. Learn how a ...

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Donor Profile: John & Dudley Macfarlane

After careers in finance in New York and Connecticut, John and Dudley Macfarlane now reside in White Hall, Virginia, where John is managing member for an investment advisory firm and Dudley runs an equestrian breeding and training operation. The pair share why the technology’s potential, a personal hope, and the local connection have made them ...

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Donor Profile: Eddie Smith

Eddie Smith, owner, chairman and CEO of Grady-White Boats, first learned about focused ultrasound when his wife was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. He has since become a supporter of the Foundation’s efforts in hopes of advancing focused ultrasound as a treatment option for his family, friends, and future generations.

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Donor Profile: Fredericka and Howard Stevenson

Fredericka and Howard Stevenson serve on the Foundation’s Council and are passionate, enthusiastic advocates who help raise awareness of the technology. Fredericka is chair emeritus and cofounder of Summer Search Boston, and Howard has served in various leadership positions at Harvard University and Harvard Business School during the last 47 years. We recently interviewed the ...

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Donor Profile: Rick and Susan Goings

Rick and Susan Goings are trailblazers in their careers. He serves as Chairman and CEO of Tupperware Brands, and she is an acclaimed newscaster and on-air personality. The pair are also generous supporters of the Foundation, sharing in our passion to help advance healthcare innovation.

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Donor Profile: Richard Merkin, MD

In 2014, Dr. Richard Merkin established a fellowship opportunity for international researchers that has brought scientists from around the world to work with the technical and scientific teams at the Foundation. We interviewed Dr. Merkin about his involvement with the Foundation and his passion for focused ultrasound technology.

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Ellie Block Supports Pediatric Research and More

Ellie Block, generous donor and Council Member, recently spoke with the Foundation about her interest in focused ultrasound, her involvement with the Foundation, and her commitment to pediatric initiatives.

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Entrepreneur Bill Crutchfield Supported Foundation Vision from Beginning

If anyone can appreciate the entrepreneurial model of the Focused Ultrasound Foundation, it would be Bill Crutchfield, founder of the Crutchfield Corporation. He has been friends with founder and chairman of the Foundation, Neal F. Kassell, MD for more than 30 years, and Crutchfield along with his wife, Scheline, are generous supporters of the Foundation. ...

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Skinner Art Exhibit Benefits Foundation

Artist and writer Peter Skinner recently donated the proceeds from his painting exhibit at Les Yeux du Monde gallery in Charlottesville, Va., to the Foundation. His family – wife Jane-Ashley and their children Saana Miklová, Max Skinner, and Jay Everett – supported this decision. In Peter’s words, “This came from my heart. I thought this ...

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Donor Update: Gottwald Brothers Honored as Outstanding Virginians

Foundation supporters Floyd and Bruce Gottwald each received the Outstanding Virginian Award in a ceremony at the University of Virginia on May 13. The two long-time business leaders share a rich history of philanthropic support. They also both generously and consistently support the Focused Ultrasound Foundation.

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Wendel Inspires People to Work Out and Give Back

Phil Wendel was introduced to the Focused Ultrasound Foundation’s mission nearly a decade ago by founder and chairman Neal Kassell, MD. “I loved the way he described that focused ultrasound will transform therapy in the same way that MRI transformed diagnostics,” said Wendel, the founder and CEO of Charlottesville, Va.-based acac Fitness & Wellness Centers. ...

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Lockharts Honor Son by Funding Fellowship

At the behest of Gene and Terry Lockhart, the Focused Ultrasound Foundation has established the Andrew J. Lockhart Fellowship for focused ultrasound research into solid tumors to honor their son Andrew who passed away in September 2016 after a hard-fought battle with cancer at the age of 39.

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Advertising Pioneer Supports Foundation

Advertising technology pioneer Michael Donovan, Vice Chairman of Mediaocean, is no stranger to revolutionary ideas. Donovan supports the Foundation’s work to ensure that a game-changing technology like focused ultrasound will fulfill its potential to transform the future of medicine. Donovan met Foundation Chairman Neal Kassell, MD, in Wyoming and was immediately captivated by the promise ...

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Former Naval Air Intelligence Officer Contributes to Foundation

Impressing Jim Morley, an ex-Naval Air Intelligence Officer and founder and President of California Real Estate Management, is no small feat. But after learning about FUS in a TEDMED talk named “Healing Without Cuts,” Jim Morley was “enthralled” and soon became a donor to the Foundation. “The talk was my first experience to witness the ...

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First Siblings Treated with FUS for Tremor

Mark Nemschoff and Muffin Nemschoff Alschuler spent years watching their mother’s quality of life deteriorate as her tremor progressed to where she had great difficulty feeding herself for the last 20 years of her life. And then both of them felt their own tremor progressing, and sought relief.

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Patient with Benign Pancreatic Tumor Experiences Pain Relief After MR-guided Focused Ultrasound Treatment

“What a difference a year makes!” exclaimed Doris McArdle and her daughter, Sharon Duffy, in a recent New Year’s greeting. The recipients of that message – David Heller, Neal Kassell, M.D. and Wladyslaw Gedroyc, M.D. – made a difference that McArdle will never forget. In November 2010, the indomitable, 89-year-old McArdle boarded a trans-Atlantic flight ...

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