December 10, 2020 - Symposium Content Now Available Online

See highlights from the meeting.                    December 10, 2020 Last month, the Foundation hosted the 7th International Symposium on Focused Ultrasound, its first virtual meeting. The Symposium showcased the tremendous progress in the field and demonstrated the ability of digital technology to facilitate the sharing of information and knowledge and increase participation.  Compared to previous symposia, there was an enormous increase in content shared through a variety of formats, including keynote addresses and special lectures, scientific presentations, panels, fireside chats, and roundtable discussions. In all, more than 1,800 participants from 57 countries joined us for the meeting, compared to 450 participants from 23 countries at our last Symposium in 2018. We also extended this year's meeting by an extra day and a half and included parallel tracks on the final day due to an abundance of information to cover.  The presentation videos are now permanently archived on the Symposium YouTube channel, and a summary document is available. Scientific Presentation Videos Now Available on YouTube Channel  The scientific presentations, panels, Q&A sessions, and keynote addresses are now permanently available on our Symposium YouTube channel. The videos cover the full program and are divided by topic. WATCH NOW > For those of you who registered to attend the meeting, this content is also available via the Showcare platform until February 7, 2021.  Keynote and Special Lecture Spotlight Thank you to our nine keynotes and special lecturers who gave inspiring talks on various facets of focused ultrasound research and medical innovation.  James P. Allison, PhD Nobel Laureate and Chair of Immunology at MD Anderson Cancer Center, Dr. Allison shared his experience studying cancer immunotherapies. WATCH NOW >   Chetan Bettegowda, MD, PhD and Graeme Woodworth, MD Dr. Bettegowda, Professor of Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Medicine, and Dr. Woodworth, Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, discussed liquid biopsy. WATCH NOW >   Merit Cudkowicz, MD Dr. Cudkowicz, Chief of Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital, presented clinical trial ideas for therapeutics in neurodegenerative disorders. WATCH NOW >   Renana Eitan, MD Dr. Eitan, from the Functional Neuroimaging Lab of Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, discussed FUS for psychiatric disorders. WATCH NOW >   Omar Ishrak, PhD Mr. Ishrak, Chairman of the Board at Medtronic and Intel, presented “The Role of MedTech in Driving Patient Outcomes.” WATCH NOW >   Clifton Leaf Mr. Leaf, Editor-in-Chief of FORTUNE, presented, "Want To Go To the Moon? Build a Road." WATCH NOW >   Michael Milken As Milken Institute Chairman, Mr. Milken discussed his personal journey to the frontiers of medical science. WATCH NOW >   Ralph Northam, MD Gov. Northam, Governor of Virginia and pediatric neurologist at Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters, addressed focused ultrasound's impact in the state. WATCH NOW >   Howard R. Soule, PhD Dr. Soule, Executive VP and Chief Science Officer of the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF), discussed PCF's achievements in advancing the field. WATCH NOW >   Browse Scientific Program Take-Home Messages We asked each researcher who submitted an abstract to summarize his or her work in a brief sentence. Browse this list of “take-home messages” for an overview of the meeting’s topics. SEE THE LIST >    Investigator Profile: Symposium Honorary President Joan Vidal-Jové, MD, PhD   Director of the Comprehensive Tumor Center at the Khuab Institute for Interventional Oncology in Barcelona, Dr. Vidal-Jové is dedicated to advancing focused ultrasound to treat pancreatic and liver cancer. READ MORE >    SEE HIS PRESENTATION >   Two Pioneers Recognized for Contributions to the Field Nir Lipsman, MD, PhD, FRCSC, and Lawrence A. Crum, PhD, were this year's recipients of the Ferenc Jolesz Memorial Award and the Visionary Award, respectively. The two researchers are known for their innovative spirit in advancing the focused ultrasound field. SEE THEIR PRESENTATIONS >    Nine Young Investigators Share Their Work This year, we recognized the work of nine early-career researchers from four countries. SEE THEIR SCIENTIFIC PRESENTATIONS > Global Intern Recognized at Symposium Hohyun Lee earned the highest peer-reviewed rating among the Foundation's recent Global Interns with his abstract, “A Benchtop Focused Ultrasound System for Drug Screening Investigations in Central Nervous System.”   WATCH HIS PRESENTATION > Clinical and Research Advances Highlighted at Media Event We hosted a virtual media event to educate top tier media on the use of focused ultrasound to treat conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, cancer, and psychiatric disorders.   READ MORE > Thank You The Foundation is grateful to everyone who attended the year's Symposium and to those of you who worked with us to make it a success. We appreciate your patience as we overcame technical challenges to make the meeting a productive and safe event.  The Foundation team planned and executed all aspects of the scientific plenary program. The scientific program committee reviewed, scored, and selected the research presented both orally and in posters. The Honorary Symposium President, Dr. Joan Vidal-Jové, and the leadership of the session moderators created a forum for education and collaboration. And finally, we appreciate the continued support of the sponsors and exhibitors.  Save the Date for 2022 Our 8th International Symposium on Focused Ultrasound will take place as a hybrid meeting – both virtually and in-person – October 23-28, 2022, in Bethesda, Maryland.