Key Points
- Two conferences held in August featured focused ultrasound presentations.
- Use the links below to access meeting programs and abstract information.
Neuro Innovate 2025
As part of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) Innovation Institute, the University of Chicago School of Medicine Department of Neurological Surgery held Neuro Innovate 2025 on August 8 in Chicago. Designed to equip orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeons, neurologists, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, residents, fellows, researchers, and medical/health professional students with the knowledge and skills to thrive in the evolving landscape of neurosurgery innovation, the presentations featured neurosurgeons who are shaping the future of research and practice sharing their latest work.
Presentations included the following topics:
- “Future Directions in Radiosurgery and Neuromodulation” by John R. Adler, MD, The Dorothy and Thye King Chan Professor in Neurosurgery, Emeritus at Stanford University
- “Thalamic Stimulation and Connectivity” by David Satzer, MD, assistant professor of Neurological Surgery and Neuroscience Institute researcher at the University of Chicago School of Medicine
- “Treating Disease Biology vs. Symptoms in Epilepsy” by Peter Warnke, MD, professor of Neurological Surgery, Neurology, and Pediatrics and Director of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery at the University of Chicago School of Medicine
“Dr. Satzer’s presentation on seizure network mapping in epilepsy was particularly compelling, and I believe this approach could be applied to treating seizures with brain stimulation modalities such as focused ultrasound neuromodulation,” said Hongchae ‘Iris’ Baek, PhD, one of the Foundation’s scientific program managers who attended the course. “He emphasized the critical role of resting-state brain activity, where healthy regions surrounding the seizure onset zone work to suppress its activity. This suppression fluctuates over time, and when it diminishes past a threshold, seizures are more likely to occur. Resting-state monitoring provides a broader perspective on seizure networks and offers deeper insight into how we might predict seizure onset and design strategies to inhibit seizure activity.”
Mohamad Bydon, MD, from the University of Chicago served as the Neuro Innovate 2025 course director. Dr. Bydon was appointed the inaugural chair of the University of Chicago’s Department of Neurological Surgery on July 1, 2025. He previously performed neurosurgery and conducted research at Mayo Clinic.
Florida Society of Clinical Oncology (FLASCO) Clinical Oncology Series: Neuro-Oncology Updates
FLASCO’s Neuro-Oncology Update was held on August 9, 2025, in Orlando with about 100 people in attendance. This educational program is designed to provide oncologists, neurologists, neurosurgeons, oncology nurses, and other healthcare professionals with a comprehensive understanding of the diagnosis, treatment, and management of gliomas, meningiomas, metastases, and rare neuro-oncologic conditions. The course covers diagnostic tools, emerging therapies, and treatment strategies, including surgical techniques, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy. Multidisciplinary approaches to improve patient outcomes and quality of life are the focus of the meeting.
Ashish H. Shah, MD, assistant professor of Neurological Surgery at the University of Miami (UM) Miller School of Medicine and director of the Shah Lab at UM’s Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, presented “Surgical Strategies to Conquer the Blood-Brain Barrier: Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy, MR-Guided Focused Ultrasound, Convection-Enhanced Delivery, and More.” Dr. Shah provided an overview of each of these strategies to open the blood-brain barrier (BBB).
“We covered several key focused ultrasound clinical studies, discussed how low-intensity focused ultrasound can be used for liquid biopsy to extract cell-free DNA from serum, and shared how BBB opening may open the door to new immunotherapy or targeted treatment options for medications that do not normally go to the brain,” said Dr. Shah. “Attendees asked questions asked about feasibility of focused ultrasound, patient selection, and the use of the technology beyond clinical trials.”
The Foundation thanks Dr. Shah for submitting this meeting report.