A research group based at Kobe University in Japan received the magna cum laude poster award at the 10^th Interventional MRI Symposium held last month in Leipzig, Germany. Their winning project featured work in analyzing liver deformation to obtain MR images prior to focused ultrasound (FUS) treatment. Of the 63 posters accepted at this technically-oriented meeting, seven included FUS.

Several oral presentations on FUS were given including:

• A state-of-the-art lunch symposium hosted by Philips Healthcare featured presentations on MR-guided FUS in oncology and the noninvasive treatment of breast cancer.
• One scientific session included an overview of FUS clinical applications and presentations on drug delivery and breast interventions.
• GE’s dinner symposium featured new developments in FUS and a neurosurgery update for Parkinson’s disease and neuropathic pain.
• In the brain session, Nathan McDannold from Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School presented his group’s work on transcranial focused ultrasound surgery.

“Focused ultrasound has a growing role in the field of interventional MRI,” said Dr. McDannold. “The scientists at these international meetings are well aware of the impact it is having in medicine.” The Symposium’s entire abstract book is now available online.