Symposium Keynote: John Grisham Interview

Bestselling author John Grisham will join us for a special keynote with award-winning CBS News correspondent Chip Reid. On Wednesday, August 31, Grisham will take the stage with Reid to talk about his interest in focused ultrasound, how he became involved with the Foundation, and his motivation for writing The Tumor.

Grisham, who is on the Foundation’s Board of Directors, calls it “the most important book I’ve ever written.” Since its release earlier this year, more than 500,000 copies have been distributed, and it has garnered outstanding media coverage.

Reid has spent nearly 30 years in media, reporting for CBS and NBC on topics ranging from politics to foreign affairs and the war in Iraq. He interviewed Grisham and Foundation Chairman Dr. Neal Kassell for a segment on CBS This Morning, which aired in April.

Special Lecture: Open Access to Science Accelerates Discovery

On Thursday, September 1, Philip E. Bourne, PhD, FACMI, will present a Special Lecture entitled “Open Science: Promise, Progress, Pitfalls.” Having published more than 300 papers and 5 books and co-founding 4 companies, Dr. Bourne is now the Associate Director for Data Science at the National Institutes of Health in the Office of the Director.

“Open Science has the promise of accelerating scientific discovery, but there are issues surrounding appropriate policies, the infrastructure to support open science, and the cultural change that is needed even when federal funding dictates the need for openness,” says Bourne. “I will illustrate some of these issues with appropriate examples from the NIH and elsewhere.”

Prior to joining NIH, Dr. Bourne was Associate Vice Chancellor for Innovation and Industry Alliances in the Office of Research Affairs and a Professor in the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of California at San Diego.

Head of Cancer Moonshot Discusses Initiative

On the morning of Tuesday, August 30, Greg Simon, Executive Director of Vice President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot Initiative, will update the community about the program’s mandate, progress, and future.

Simon is a cancer survivor, former President of FasterCures, and Chief Executive of the health care investing company Poliwogg.

The Foundation will be funding research, organizing workshops, calling on colleagues in the field to participate in the initiative, and harnessing the power of focused ultrasound to assist in curing cancer.

Final Program Now Available

The Symposium’s Final Program has been posted. Highlights include:

• Monday – “Brain Day,” featuring Neuro advances and panel discussions on Movement Disorders and Brain Technology
   
• Tuesday – Cancer, from Immunotherapy to the Pancreas to the Prostate and beyond
   
• Wednesday – Industry Showcase, preceded by Breast and Other Tumors, Drug Delivery for Cancer, Cardiovascular, Musculoskeletal, Women’s Health, and Emerging Applications
   
• Thursday – Commercial Success presentations and panel discussions on Prominent Biomechanisms for the Future of Focused Ultrasound, Successful Focused Ultrasound Sites, and Evidence Building for Focused Ultrasound

SEE THE ONLINE PROGRAM >

Meet the Moderators

This year’s symposium includes an impressive group of leaders in the field who will moderate presentations and discussions. The list includes representatives from academia, industry, and government. See the moderators below, and learn more about them here.

Online Briefing for Media and Advocacy Groups

On Wednesday, August 31, The Foundation is hosting a briefing for media, patient advocacy groups, government officials, and others. Experts will summarize the key data and most critical clinical advances in the field and then engage audience questions. The speakers and topics slated for the event include:

Dr. Jeff Elias, University of Virginia
– Movement Disorders

Dr. Paul Fishman, University of Maryland
– Future applications for the brain

Dr. Joo Ha Hwang, University of Washington
– FUS as a new tool for cancer

Dr. Pejman Ghanouni, Stanford University
– Benign and malignant bone and soft tissue treatment

Dr. Michael Gertner, Kona Medical
– FUS for hypertension

After the presentations, a Q&A session will be moderated by the Foundation’s Chief Scientific Officer, Jessica Foley, PhD.

Click here to participate online from 1-2:30 pm. 

Download Abstracts, Connect with Colleagues and Customers on Your Mobile Device

Whova is the mobile app for the 2016 Symposium. It allows attendees to:

• View the daily and weekly schedules
   
• Add the sessions that you don’t want to miss to your calendar
   
• See who attends each session and message other participants
   
• Download abstract data, located within the daily agenda
   
• Share research findings on social media using #FUSF2016
   
• Look up venue information and maps, locate Foundation staff, and much more

GET WHOVA NOW >

Kullervo Hynynen Receives 2016 Visionary Award

Pioneering physicist Kullervo Hynynen, PhD, will receive the Focused Ultrasound Foundation’s 2016 Visionary Award. This honor is given every two years at our Symposium and recognizes an individual who has created a larger vision for what the future of focused ultrasound may hold and whose effort, passion, and persistence have been crucial to advancing the field. Dr. Hynynen will be acknowledged during the Symposium’s Sunday evening 10th Anniversary Gala Reception followed by his presentation sharing his journey in focused ultrasound and thoughts on the future.

READ MORE >
 

Nathan McDannold Receives Jolesz Award

Nathan McDannold, PhD, has been selected as the recipient of the Ferenc Jolesz Memorial Award. Supported by Insightec, the award honors Ferenc's memory and recognizes and encourages his innovative spirit in mid-career researchers and clinicians who continue to advance focused ultrasound. Dr. McDannold will be acknowledged during the Symposium’s Sunday evening 10th Anniversary Gala Reception and will deliver a presentation on his research during Monday’s plenary session.

READ MORE >

Young Investigator Award Recipients

Eleven scientists have been selected for this year’s Young Investigator Awards. Each researcher will present their work during the Symposium and have the opportunity to meet and discuss their projects with colleagues. The winners, along with the titles of their abstracts, are available on our website.

Thank you to all who applied for a 2016 Young Investigator Award!

Global Interns Compete for Prize

A histotripsy project entitled “Using Ray Tracing to predict Histotripsy Focal Shift in a Transcranial Setting” has been selected as the best student abstract for the 2016 Symposium. University of Michigan intern Thai-Son Nguyen’s winning entry earned him travel support to the meeting, where he will present his work alongside his scientific colleagues. Congratulations to Mr. Nguyen and his mentor, Dr. Zhen Xu!

Nine other student interns who submitted abstracts for the 2016 Symposium will present their work during the poster session. This summer, 19 interns at 15 international sites were selected to participate in the Foundation’s Global Internship Program, where they were matched with an academic researcher or industry mentor. More details on the opportunity to receive up to three months of salary support while participating as a global intern can be found on our website.

Focused Ultrasound Industry Showcase

The Focused Ultrasound Industry Showcase will take place Wednesday, August 31 from 6-8 PM. Open to all symposium attendees, the event will feature 5-minute presentations by industry leaders, a cocktail reception, and access to the exhibit hall. The Showcase highlights the innovations that focused ultrasound companies have made in the past two years, introduces you to new companies, opens the door to forming partnerships, and expands existing collaborative connections.

For a timeline of scheduled presentations and map of exhibit booth areas, see the Whova App.

"We look forward to engaging with scientists and clinicians to further our knowledge in HIFU applications and its challenges. Their feedback helps us to provide meaningful value back to our customers."
– Yuchi Chu, Alpinion Medical Systems

Symposium Sponsors & Exhibitors

The Foundation thanks the organizations that have signed on to sponsor or exhibit at the 2016 meeting. We encourage attendees to visit the booths on display in the exhibit area, and don't miss their presentations at the Industry Showcase on Wednesday evening.



Learn more about our sponsors >

Final Details: Conference Venue, Hotel, and Ground Transportation

The 5th International Focused Ultrasound Symposium will be held at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. The conference center and meeting rooms are attached to the hotel. Free parking is available during the Symposium. Located on the RED line of the Washington Metro, the White Flint stop is located across the street from the hotel. Registration begins on Sunday, August 28, at 4:00 pm in the Conference Center’s hotel entrance. The Symposium website has additional information for ground transportation and travel as well as information to learn more about Washington, DC and how to set up sightseeing tours.