June 2007: FUSF Cornerstone Grant and more...

In This Issue

FUSF Cornerstone Grant

FUSF Committee Selection

Fellowship and Research Progams

Featured Papers

Quick Links

FUS Foundation Website

FUS Foundation Blog

FUS Foundation Forums

Dear Subscriber,

As the Focused Ultrasound Surgery Foundation grows, so does our website.  We are continually adding content and features designed to provide the very latest and best information for patients, researchers, clinicians alike.

The latest of these features include:

• An overall redesign that makes information more accessible than ever before.  Highlights include an interactive map showing locations of MRgFUS treatment centers and clinical trials 
• A list of  the very latest and most important papers on a wide range of focused ultrasound related topics
• A summary of research sites across the world

These are exciting times for this emerging discipline, with new developments coming faster than most can follow.  Following and sharing these developments is a core part of our mission, and we invite you to keep track of the very latest information by  the game by staying in touch with us at www.fusfoundation.org.

$5M Cornerstone Gift from the Diane and David B. Heller Charitable Foundation

The Focused Ultrasound Surgery Foundation is pleased to announce a generous $5 million commitment from the Diane and David B. Heller Charitable Foundation. These funds will allow the FUS Foundation to support our ongoing Research and Fellowship programs in addition to providing important assistance with operating expenses. This cornerstone commitment represents a major step forward in the FUS Foundation's mission of bringing focused ultrasound surgery to the forefront of medical practice, and in the process, improving the lives of countless patients throughout the world. David Heller currently serves on the Board of Directors of the FUS Foundation and is Chairman of Advisory Research, Inc., a Chicago-based investment advisory firm.

FUSF Appoints Research and Fellowship Advisory Committees

The Foundation's newly launched research programs are already bringing strong interest and outstanding proposals from across the research community. In order to ensure that we present the best research possible to the medical community and patients alike, we have assembled a world-class advisory committee to review these proposals and choose our first grant recipients.

This research advisory committee is comprised of the following members:

• Dr. Bill Clark, president and CEO of Cellectar, a radiopharmaceutical company. Dr. Clark is a highly respected leader in the industry who previously served as Executive Vice President and Chief Technology and Medical Officer at GE Healthcare.
• Dr. King Li, Chair of the Radiology Department at Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas. Dr. Li was previously the Associate Director of the NIH Clinical Center and the Chief of Radiology for the NIH Imaging Sciences Program.
• Dr. Ferenc Jolesz, Director of the National Center for Image Guided Therapy. A true pioneer, Dr. Jolesz has a long history and stellar track record in the field of MR guided interventional therapies, including MR guided focused ultrasound.

At the same time, the Foundation has created an esteemed committee to do the important work of selecting our inaugural Fellows. These first recipients, who will have the chance to further their studies in focused ultrasound surgical techniques, will be chosen by the following committee members:

• Dr. Bill Bradley, who serves as Chair of the Radiology Department at University of California, San Diego, is also Vice President of the American College of Radiology and serves on the board of numerous professional publications and medical societies.
• Dr. Larry Platt, Director of the Center for Fetal Medicine and Women's Ultrasound in Los Angeles and Professor of OB-GYN at UCLA. Dr. Platt has an extensive clinical and research background in the use of ultrasound in medicine.
• Dr. Clare Tempany is the director of clinical MRI at Brigham and Women's Hospital. She is widely recognized as a pioneer in the field of focused ultrasound surgery, having conducted several clinical trials of MRgFUS treatment of uterine fibroids. She is currently conducting a clinical trial for MRgFUS treatment of prostate cancer.

The Foundation is extremely grateful to these extraordinary leaders for their commitment to our efforts. Our fellowship program is a critical part of the FUSF mission and we look forward to the achievements their guidance will bring forth.

FUSF Fellowship Program for 2007 Still Accepting Applications

For those interested in applying for the 2007 fellowship program, there is still time left. This is the last month we'll be accepting applications for this year. These Fellowship positions provide up to $100K in support to qualified clinical professionals to further their training in focused ultrasound surgical techniques. Candidates should have a background in Radiology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Urology, Neurosurgery, Radiation Oncology, or another FUS related specialty. For more information on our Fellowship Program, visit our website.

The Research program is also accepting proposals that promote the advancement of focused ultrasound surgery via preclinical research, small clinical trials, pilot studies and new applications of focused ultrasound technology. Research projects that are selected for funding will receive between $100K - $200K for a one year term. More information on the program and the application process can be found on the research program section of our website.

Featured Papers

Relaxing restrictions on uterine fibroid treatment protocols can improve outcomes

Treatment protocols with more relaxed restrictions can lead to better treatment outcomes.

Time Reversal Skull Correction for Transcranial HIFU

Reconstructing skull and tissue ultrasound attenuation by an internal acoustic signal.

Overview of the state of transcranial MRgFUS

This paper presents a useful history of current transcranial MRgFUS techniques.

We are always looking for new content so if you know of anything that we should be covering, please let us know at news@fusfoundation.org.

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