Key Points
- The inaugural meeting of the APFUS was held February 22–24 in Seoul, Korea.
- The conference featured 34 presentations, 2 special lectures, 31 invited talks, 23 E-posters, and a sponsored luncheon seminar.
The inaugural meeting of the Asian Pacific Society for Transcranial Focused Ultrasound Surgery (APFUS) was held February 22–24, 2024, at Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea. The conference, which was co-sponsored by APFUS and the Korean Focused Ultrasound Neurosurgical Society, was led by APFUS President Jin Woo Chang, MD, PhD.
“I was truly pleased to see the large number of latest findings and groundbreaking research outputs that were shared at this conference,” said Dr. Chang. “I believe it will be a steppingstone to greater achievements within the transcranial focused ultrasound research field.”
About 250 attendees from 14 countries and regions engaged in the presentations, special lectures, invited talks, sponsored luncheon seminar, and E-posters. An exhibition area provided opportunities to network and learn about eight companies and institutions.
Suzanne LeBlang, MD, the Foundation’s director of clinical relationships, attended APFUS and presented an invited lecture titled, “Building Bridges Together: The Role of the Focused Ultrasound Foundation.” The Foundation’s Asia Ambassador, Dong-Guk Paeng, PhD, also participated in all of the conference activities.
“Dr. Chang organized an outstanding program and thoroughly engaged the audience in the discussions,” said Dr. LeBlang. “This conference covered many topics in its two-day span, and I was able to meet with several of the leading researchers in the field. It was a great experience!”
The Presidential Lecture given by Dr. Chang was titled, “Update of the Clinical Potential of Brain MRgFUS.” Additional invited lectures included:
- Therapeutic Potential of Blood-Brain Barrier Modulation with Focused Ultrasound: from Drug Delivery to Promoting Neural Plasticity by Isabelle Aubert, PhD, from Sunnybrook Research Institute and the University of Toronto
- Focused Ultrasound for Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease and Addiction by Ali Rezai, MD, from the West Virginia University Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute
- Low-Intensity Ultrasound as a Novel Treatment Strategy for Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias (Preclinical and Clinical Studies) by Jürgen Götz, PhD, from the University of Queensland, Australia
During the sponsored luncheon, Eyal Zadicario, PhD, chief operating office and manager of Insightec, presented “Insightec’s Journey from Revolutionizing Surgery to a Future of Opportunities .” During the sessions, interesting new indications for focused ultrasound treatment included anorexia, X-linked dystonia Parkinsonism, and choreo-acanthocytosis.
The meeting program lists all of the presentations and presenters.
Photos taken at the event are available on the conference website www.apfus2024.com.
The next APFUS meeting will be held in 2 years, in 2026, in Shanghai, China.