Charlottesville, VA, December 19, 2025—The Focused Ultrasound Foundation has recognized Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) as a Focused Ultrasound Center of Excellence (COE), bringing the university into a global community committed to advancing focused ultrasound technology for the benefit of patients.
Through an internationally recognized academic medical center with strengths in biomedical engineering, neuroscience, and translational medicine, WashU has built a robust interdisciplinary network of researchers and clinicians working together to advance many applications of focused ultrasound.
Under the leadership of Hong Chen, PhD, and Jan Kubanek, PhD, director and co-director of the new COE, respectively, more than 30 faculty members across 11 departments contribute to focused ultrasound research at WashU.
Representative contributors include Dr. Eric Leuthardt from the Taylor Family Department of Neurosurgery; Drs. Arash Nazeri and Joel Culver from the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology; Dr. Alexxai Kravitz from the Department of Psychiatry; Dr. Buck Rogers from the Department of Radiation Oncology; Dr. Larry Snyder from the Department of Neuroscience; Dr. Jonathan Brestoff from the Department of Pathology & Immunology; Dr. Jin-Moo Lee from the Department of Neurology; Drs. Jianmin Cui and Dan Moran from the Department of Biomedical Engineering, and Dr. Phil Bayly from the Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science, among many others, all of whom contribute to the COE’s interdisciplinary strength.
To date, WashU researchers have secured more than $40 million in external funding, produced over 100 papers, and launched five clinical trials exploring focused ultrasound for patients with brain tumors, chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder (or PTSD), depression, and fibromyalgia. The group also holds 27 granted and pending patent applications, and translation to industry is already underway.
“This designation reflects the power of collaboration at WashU,” said Dr. Chen. “Our excellence in focused ultrasound is made possible by the university’s remarkably interdisciplinary environment, the strong support of our leadership, and the dedication of colleagues across engineering, medicine, and science.”
“WashU faculty are not afraid to tackle some of the most challenging problems facing mankind, and we do so in collaborative spirit unmatched elsewhere,” said Dr. Kubanek. “We will bring excellence to every aspect of the endeavor, including vision, research, device translation, and teaching and training of the next generation of researchers.”
WashU invests considerable effort to cultivate the next generation of focused ultrasound researchers and clinicians. Drs. Chen and Kubanek teach focused ultrasound in undergraduate and graduate courses and actively mentor graduate students. Four former WashU trainees have now gone on to become faculty members and principal investigators in focused ultrasound research.
“With demonstrated expertise in basic science, engineering innovation, clinical application, and commercialization, Washington University in St. Louis is a leading voice in the acceleration of focused ultrasound,” said Dr. Neal F. Kassell, MD, founder and chairman of the Focused Ultrasound Foundation. “The Center of Excellence designation recognizes their immense achievements and continuing contributions toward developing focused ultrasound for the benefit of patients.”
About Focused Ultrasound
Focused ultrasound uses ultrasound energy guided by real-time imaging to treat tissue deep in the body without incisions or radiation. It is FDA-approved in the United States to treat essential tremor, Parkinson’s disease, liver tumors, uterine fibroids, pain from bone metastases, osteoid osteoma, the prostate, and chronic low back pain. Dozens of additional indications are approved outside of the US. The technology is in various stages of research and development for more than 180 diseases.
About the Focused Ultrasound Foundation
Based in Charlottesville, VA, the Focused Ultrasound Foundation was created to improve the lives of millions of people worldwide by accelerating the development of focused ultrasound, a rapidly evolving, noninvasive technology. The Foundation works to clear the path to global adoption in the shortest time possible by organizing and funding research, fostering collaboration, and building awareness among patients and professionals. Since its establishment in 2006, the Foundation has become the largest nongovernmental funding source for focused ultrasound research.