Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe Visits Focused Ultrasound Foundation

Published:

McAuliffe at podium 300On Monday, August 22, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe visited the Focused Ultrasound Foundation and met with members of the Foundation’s Team, Board, Council, and representatives from the University of Virginia Health System.

“We updated the Governor on the status of the technology,” said Foundation Chairman Neal F. Kassell, MD. “We also discussed the importance of ongoing Foundation-initiated focused ultrasound activities to the Commonwealth and the way in which state support has contributed to the development of the entire field.”

One of the Foundation’s key initiatives is the establishment of Centers of Excellence – luminary sites for patient care, research, and teaching. The University of Virginia (UVA) Focused Ultrasound Center is the flagship of this initiative. It was created in 2009 through a public/private partnership involving UVA, the Focused Ultrasound Foundation, and the Commonwealth of Virginia, and device manufacturers.

A bipartisan effort led by Speaker of the House Bill Howell and Delegate Steve Landes resulted in $7 million to help create the UVA Center. More recently, $4 million has been allocated to fund additional research. As a result of the generous support of the Commonwealth, UVA is now recognized as one of the leading focused ultrasound sites in the world – particularly as it pertains to brain applications. It has become a model of how the state’s investment in in biotechnology and medical research can yield dividends.

McAuliffe Brain Demo 300

“I want Virginia to be known as the Brain State,” said Governor McAuliffe. “These are the jobs of the future. We have invested tremendously in bio. We have gone from the back of the heap to the front for our country on bio. Virginia can take it to the next level.”

Furthermore, the Foundation is working to foster collaboration between all of the entities in the state that are tackling the most serious brain diseases, including Virginia Bio, the University of Virginia, and the Virginia Tech/Carilion Clinic Institute for Orthopedics and Neurosciences group.

Media Coverage
Governor Pushes Biotech at Local Stop, The Daily Progress 8/22/16
Governor Terry McAuliffe Praises Focused Ultrasound as the Future of Healthcare, Newsplex CBS19 8/22/16
McAuliffe Visits Charlottesville to Credit Medical Research Community, NBC29.com 8/22/16
McAuliffe Promotes Biotechnology on WINA News Radio 8/22/16